High Time !!

In yet another case of honour killing, villagers allegedly murdered a young man in the presence of the police when he had come to take back his newly-wed wife belonging to the same sub-caste in Haryana’s Jind district.

The so called caste panchayat announced and implemented a social boycott of the boy’s family. Such incidents of heinous cruelty against young couples who dare to marry according to their choice have become common in Haryana. In June 2007, the bodies of a young couple, Manoj and Babli, were recovered from a canal in Kaithal district after they were murdered and thrown into the canal by relatives of the girl. A married couple, Rampal and Sonia, were forced by the Panchayat to live as brother and sister since they belonged to the same Gotra

Caste Panchayats or Khaps behave like a dictator; these are not elected panchayats, they take the law into their own hands and issue decrees arbitrarily. Caste panchayats pose a challenge both to the parliamentary processes and judicial structures. These have no legal standing, yet they function with impunity, backed by the narrow caste identity politics

The views of the authorities at various levels on the question of "honour" were not very different from that of the community. It was evident from the various testimonies that the State administrations were not only indifferent, but also partisan.

Boys and girls are being targeted so that none dares to breach the barriers of castes and communities. Significantly, in the majority of cases it is the economically and socially dominant castes that organize, instigate and abet such acts of retribution.

Caste panchayats have come to play an increasingly important role in Haryana and elsewhere, especially in situations where political sponsorship also exists. Central to the theme of honour and violence is the subordinate position of girls and women in all castes and communities. A woman's chastity is the "honour" of the community and she has no sovereign right over at any point of her life.