Thursday, May 13, 2010

[ZESTCaste] League Of Honor Killers

http://www.countercurrents.org/jaikrishan120510.htm

League Of Honor Killers

By Raja Jaikrishan

12 May, 2010
Heraldofindia.com

With municipal polls due on May 20, followed by panchayat polls, both
ruling Congress and opposition INLD are out to pamper caste panchayats
in Haryana . These caste councils have launched a campaign against
same-gotra marriages.

On March 30, a karnal Court awarded death penalty to five persons and
sentenced two others, including a Khap leader, to life imprisonment in
connection with the honor killing of a same-gotra couple.

The state with 60:40 Jat –Dalit ratio was recently in news for inter
–caste violence in Mirchpur village. Here Jats burnt to death a Dalit
father and his physically challenged daughter in retaliation to an
altercation. The spread of literacy and politicization has changed the
traditional power equation in the villages. Dalits are reluctant to
take up traditional jobs. Migrants have stepped in their shoes.

In the Mirchpur incident 25 jats were arrested after protests from
Dalits. Rahul Gandhi paid visit to the village and went to the house
where the father and daughter were burnt alive, to stitching the Dalit
support with Congress.

Swami Agnivesh, activist from Haryana, says: "Gotra is lineage sourced
to sages i.e Gautam ,Parashar etc.In Haryana gotra names don't follow
this convention. A gotra e.g Tomar is found in Rajputs, Jats and
Dalits. How can an inter-caste marriage in this case be an intra
-gotra marriage?

Quoting the Satyarthprakash, the Swami adds: " Swami Dayanand
Sarawsati did emphasize the importance of distance in matrimony. The
politicians are succumbing to the blackmail of panchayats to ensure
vote and support in the ensuing elections. They remain quiet when
these kangaroo courts give directions leading to honor killings by
family members".

" Indian National Lok Dal party supports the ban as it is against the
tradition and wrong medically. We will bring a proposal in the state
assembly. If the government brings in an amendment bill in this
regard, we will support it."

Party chief Om Prakash Chautala said this after giving a memorandum to
home minister P Chidambaram seeking changes in the Hindu Marriage Act
favoring the ban.
After the Khap panchayats threatened to lay siege to Congress MP Navin
Jindal's Kaithal house, he attended the Sarvjatiya Sarvkhap
Mahapanchayat khap on Sunday .
Jindal, an industrialist and MP from Kurukshetra, had sent a letter to
representatives of khaps, acknowledging their "yoeman" service
rendered to society.

On may 2,Khap panchayats at a meeting at Pai ,near Kathal, had put all
elected representatives in the state on a one-month notice to support
their demand for amending the Hindu Marriage Act seeking a ban on same
gotra marriages.

Jindal letter to the Khaps followed Chautala's support to the ban on
same-gotra marriage and villages. Chautala beat Naveen in the race to
take up the Khap demand with the ruling party by giving the memorandum
to Chidambaram.

Madu Kishwar, social activist saw a point in the demand of Khap
Panchayats seeking ban on same-gotra marriages. She said the
Constitution has provided for a personal law for each religious
community. The Hindu Marriage Act has a provision, which bars a
marriage if it violates local customs of kinship. By taking up the
panchayat demand for amendment to the Act Jindal has put the demand on
a democratic course.

The mahapanchayat, called against the backdrop of a Karnal court
verdict, had thundered last month: "We don't want a constitution or a
law that goes against our age-old tradition." As of now, "the Congress
stand is clear. No Customary law or practice can possibly be excused
or condoned in any manner if it involves killing of any kind in the
name of honor, tradition or heritage".

Jindal's condemnation of honor killings and support for the ban on
same-gotra marriage lays bare the paradox of electoral politics.


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