By Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of Centre for Social Research

The brutal murder of two women in the presence of an entire village in Bhiwani, Haryana state, where two men beat two women to death for having an alleged affair, is just one of the nearly 1,000 so-called “honour” killings reported annually across India. According to local news reports, the men beat the first woman for nearly an hour in public until she died, before moving on to the other woman. Not a single person intervened, nor did anyone inform the police who arrived two hours after the incident ended. Even a day after the incident, when news reporters attempted to find eyewitnesses to recount the event, only a few young men in the entire community stepped forward to say anything.

Women’s groups across the country have demanded an explanation from Haryana’s Chief Minister for why illegal systems of justice (khap panchayats, similar to a village council) continue to pass judgments and declare punishments to supposed transgressors of local social norms. These barbaric acts, “honour” killings, are not only illegal but also demonstrate the complete collapse of law and order. In this most recent case, the district magistrate, panchayat leader and Chief Minister must be held accountable for allowing such crimes in their territories. Also, the villagers who mutely acted as spectators and refused to intervene must also be charged in a criminal court.

Only yesterday, India’s Supreme Court announced their judgment banning khap panchayats. The Supreme Court also instructed the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure the implementation of this law and enforce stringent punishment to perpetrators of so-called “honour” killings. This order is expected to bring relief to thousands of women who live under constant fear.

Women’s groups had been emphasising over the years that khap panchayats and illegal systems of justice must be banned, and the perpetrators of so called “honour” killings must be punished. It is about eliminating the constant fear of being judged and then punished at any moment by such illegal and biased “courts” even when we are living in a democracy with a fully functional judiciary.

We are relieved to see that the Supreme Court has finally, at long last, taken action, and I hope that this judgment will protect our sisters and daughters living in traditional rural settings. Now it is the duty of the state, the police and the society to protect their women from the inhuman verdicts of these illegal courts.

By Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director of Centre for Social Research

Dhaula Kuan, a neighbourhood in South West Delhi, is well known for a few things: containing the south campus of the University of Delhi, being situated at the crossroads of five major thoroughfares, and hosting two major housing developments filled with young, working women. A quick Google search reveals much more: media reports of rape, kidnap, murder and molestation. The most recent case to be added to this abysmal pattern is the murder of Delhi University student Radhika Tanwar.

The socio-economic structure, the way the population is laid out, the lighting and the infrastructure are all contributors to the emergence of crime in these areas. However, inadequate and unresponsive policing remain significant contributors to the prevalence of Violence Against Women in the neighbourhood. November 2010 brought to light the inefficiency of Dhaula Kuan’s police force when a female BPO (business process outsourcing) employee was gang raped in her housing complex. Last year, the Hindustan Times uncovered nearly 20 rape cases in Dhaula Kuan that were either withdrawn or never reported.

What’s happening now is that the police lack firmness in controlling the crime rate, so there is a trust deficit forming. There remains a need for proper police training and especially for more women in the police force; additional female police officers may ease some women’s concerns about approaching the police. To date, the number of women in the police across Delhi remains pathetically low. As most of us are now aware, Radhika Tanwar was stalked for two years without informing the police. Young girls and women of all ages feel that their freedom will be curtailed if they confide in their parents or other family members, but parents should immediately call the police and take action rather than blaming their daughter and inhibiting her freedoms.

Not informing the authorities wasn’t the only problem in this case. The lack of witnesses that have come forth regarding the murder that took place in broad daylight on a crowded footbridge further demonstrates Delhi’s slow response to crimes against women. When Delhi as a city lacks a culture of respect for women, people don’t come forward to help when someone is in distress. Also, India lacks a witness protection program; rather, witnesses are harassed by the police and often even blamed for the crime.

The tragedy of Radhika Tanwar’s murder reminds us once again that the Delhi government must stop blaming the police and begin actively collaborating with and making positive changes in the police force.

Meeting at the CSR office earlier today, key stakeholders and network partners from our grassroots communities held a productive discussion on what we’ve termed Dishonour Killings. Crucially, the meeting included grassroots community women who’ve been exposed to “honour” killings in their families or communities and who are often the victims of these types of crimes themselves.

Dr. Ranjana Kumari, CSR’s Director, also spoke on the Khap Panchayat (village clans) system and the impact they have on the lives of young couples. These community courts, unelected and mostly comprised of men, often rule that young couple who marry for love dishonour their families and communities. Such rulings often result in violence and even death. The meeting, just one in a longstanding series, provided not only a chance for victims to speak out and share their experiences, but also an opportunity educate more people on the problem of honour killings and the real impact that they have on families and communities.

See more photos from CSR team and network meetings at Centre for Social Research’s Flickr account.

To learn more about Khap panchayat, view Dr. Ranjana Kumari’s video explanation on YouTube.

At a discussion meeting organized by Centre for Social Research and Women Power Connect, women leaders, activists and social experts strongly condemned the “honour” killings that have stirred the nation over the course of this year. Speakers at the meeting included Dr. Kiran Bedi, Retired IPS Officer; Ms. Rashmi Singh, Director, Mission Convergence; Dr. Ranjana Kumari, Director, CSR; Rishi Kant; Shakti Vahini and Dr. N. Hamsa, Executive Director, WomenPowerConnect.

The last few months have seen a sudden spurt in the cases of honour killings in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Haryana. These cases cut across all cultures, communities and background and it appears the reasons are not merely related to same-gotra (family) marriages. Parents, siblings, and villagers are opting to eliminate their sons and daughters who are choosing to marry a person of their choice.

Calling the practice “a stark violation of legal human rights”, the speakers expressed the need to fight back for a better legal mechanism and stringent punishment for those responsible behind these killings. “We appeal to the Prime Minister to break his silence on the issue and take this matter in his own hands. The issue of honour killings needs to be addressed on an urgent basis as it has already led to the deaths of numerous young innocent couples,”said our Director, Dr. Ranjana Kumari.

Highlighting the need for a multi–faceted strategy to address this problem, Bedi said, “Honour killings are India’s knee jerk reaction to modernisation. A multi–pronged strategy would involve coordinated efforts from all ministries.” Bedi also spoke about a detailed plan to involve various committees to take firm action against honour killings. “The idea is to educate the society as a whole and make them responsible citizens,” she said. Recently, the government announced a group of ministers designated to work out an effective law against honour killings. The BJP (a nationalistic political party in India) also recently demanded setting up of fast-track courts to deal with such cases.

This recent meeting also emphasized the influence of khap panchayats as a major cause of honour killings. The khap has been a system of social administration and organization in the northwestern states of India since ancient times. These khaps are spread all the way from Northwest India down to Madhya Pradesh, Malwa, Rajasthan, Sindh, Multan, Punjab, Haryana and modern Uttar Pradesh. Although their rulings have no legal validity, they are very powerful and are successful in keeping with their so-called traditions. Oftentimes, khap panchayats and their leaders are being seen as protectors of the poor but are aggressors towards these underprivileged couples and families. Instead of helping them, they try to impose their judgments on them. Their tyranny is mostly felt in traditional rural habitations since very little or no cases have been reported from urban areas.