CAMPAIGN AGAINST HONOUR KILLINGS IN INDIA

To,
The Prime Minister of India,
Govt of India,
New Delhi

Subject: Memorandum and Demand against Honour Killings.

We the Citizens, Members of the Civil society with a deep sense of anguish, would like to draw your attention to the shocking and appalling fact that over the years a large number of couples are being killed across the country for honour.

So called Honor based violence occurs in communities where the concepts of honor and shame are fundamentally bound up with the expected behaviors of families and individuals, particularly those of women. The most extreme form is honour killing, but in other circumstances, the victim can be subjected to long-term low level physical abuse and bullying as a punishment for bringing dishonor on the family. Such crimes include battery, torture, mutilation, rape, forced marriage, imprisonment within the home, and even murder. These crimes are intended to protect the family honor by preventing and punishing womens violations of community norms for behavior, particularly sexual behavior. These crimes are often collective and premeditated.

In the recent times the cases has been on the increase and in current scenario when the State has remained mute spectators there is a lot of fear spread among the young generation and couples who are married and some of them intending to get married that they may face the wrath of such feudal forces. Many a times the pressures are so intense that the couples resort to suicide. In the recent months cases have come to light where couples are being killed, publicly humiliated and declared as brothers and sisters. Couples have faced social ostracisation from the society. Many have been killed in cold murder after torture. The victims have approached the law enforcement agencies and still faced severe trauma and humiliation. The law enforcement agencies continue to be mute spectators while doing lip service work and have been mostly confined to intervention after an incident has happened.

We demand the following:

1. As fast as possible come out with the New Law on Honour Killings as already announced by the Government.

2. The Prime Minister should make a statement on Honour Killings and the need to curb them.

3. Issue strict Instructions to the States to prevent Honour Killings and take proactive steps to prevent such killings.

4. The Central and the State Government need to come out with a paper on what steps they have taken to implement the Supreme Court Directions in 2006 in Lata Singh Vs State of Uttar Pradesh.

5. Immediately come out with a National Plan of Action.

6. Immediately a National Level Meeting of State Secretaries and DGP is needed to plan out the preventive steps needed to curb such crimes.

7. The Central Government should ask the State Government /State DGP to convene a SSP level meeting and give clear instructions for the protection of such couples.

8. Come out with various help lines numbers and special cell where such couples can approach the administration for protection.

9. Constitute fast track courts for cases of Honour Killings.

10. Immediately amend the Special Marriage Act and reduce the period of registration of Marriage from one month to one week.

We would like to remind the Government of India its duty to protect the rights of citizens, which is obligatory on them under Articles 14, 15 (1) & (3), 19 , 21 and 39(f) of the Constitution of India.
We would also like to remind the Government of India its obligations and commitment to protect its citizens from such violence under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) of which India is a signatory and has also ratified the convention. It is also against the spirit of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

We demand that the Govt take urgent steps as mentioned above so that such Honour Killings are stopped.

Copy to :

Smt Sonia Gandhi,
Chairperson,
United Progressive Alliance
National Advisory Council,
10, Janpath
New Delhi


Smt Sushma Swaraj, M.P.
Leader of The Opposition,
Lok Sabha

Copy to all Political Parties.