Honour Killings: Why is it entrenched in our society?

Honour killings in India, often involving violence against couples in inter-caste or inter-faith marriages, represent one of the most brutal manifestations of caste and patriarchy. Why is this inhuman practice still entrenched in our society?

Despite constitutional guarantees of equality, these killings continue to persist, particularly in regions where Dalit empowerment and inter-caste marriages are more frequent.

This paradox highlights how caste is not merely an individual identity but a collective social institution that is defended, enforced, and legitimised through cultural, familial, and community practices.

What is Honour Killing?

Honour killing refers to the murder of a family or community member, often a woman, by relatives or community members in the name of protecting family or community “honour”.

• The idea of honour is deeply tied to marriage choices, sexuality, and caste/religious purity, where deviation is seen as a stain on family prestige.
• These killings reflect the interplay of patriarchy, caste, and community control in Indian society.

NCRB Data: Reported cases- 25 each in 2019 & 2020; 33 in 2021 (likely under-reported).

Causes of Honour Killings

1. Caste System
   • Inter-caste marriages, especially those involving Dalits or between the same gotra, are opposed due to fear of “polluting” caste status.
   • Khap Panchayats in Haryana, western UP, and Rajasthan often pass diktats reinforcing caste endogamy.
2. Patriarchal Norms
   • Women’s autonomy in choosing partners is denied.
   • Marriage is treated as a transaction to preserve lineage, property, and social status.
3. Caste Panchayats (Informal Institutions)
   • Khap Panchayats, or caste councils, impose “punishments” such as social boycotts, fines, and even killings for defying norms.
   • Their authority often overrides state law at the village/community level.
4. Gender Imbalance
   • Skewed sex ratios increase patriarchal anxieties about control over women.
   • Any deviation is treated as a threat to the patriarchal order.
5. Social Status and Honour Logic
   • Indian society often places ascribed status (such as caste and lineage) above achieved status (such as education and occupation).
   • Family “honour” is prioritised over individual dignity.

Why Empowered States See More Honour Killings

Paradoxically, States like Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Kerala, where Dalits have achieved greater political representation, education, and economic mobility, report higher incidents of honour killings.

• More Inter-caste Marriages: Empowered Dalit youth assert their right to marry outside caste, challenging entrenched hierarchies.
• Reactionary Backlash: Dominant castes feel threatened by the erosion of their historical control over land, labour, and women’s sexuality.
• Social Assertion vs. Social Control: Empowerment brings visibility, but also provokes violence from entrenched groups who see their privileges shrinking.

Consequences

• Violation of Human Rights: Fundamental Right to Life (Article 21) is grossly violated.
• Reinforces Patriarchy: Denies women’s agency in marriage and sexuality.
• Psychological Trauma: Surviving family members and communities experience deep distress.
• Governance Deficit: Weak enforcement and societal acceptance create impunity.
• Cultural Backwardness: Suppresses women’s education, mobility, and employment.
• Global Criticism: India faces scrutiny in global human rights forums, hurting its international image.

Legal Framework in India

Currently, there is no specific anti-honour killing law. Such crimes are dealt with under general criminal laws:

• Indian Penal Code (IPC, now Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita – BNS)
  • Sec. 299–304: Murder & culpable homicide
  • Sec. 307: Attempt to murder
  • Sec. 308: Attempt to commit culpable homicide
  • Sec. 34 & 35: Common intention in criminal acts
• Special Marriage Act, 1954: Provides a legal framework for inter-caste and inter-faith marriages, but its 30-day public notice requirement often exposes couples to threats.
• Proposed Reforms:
  • Prohibition of Unlawful Assembly (Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances) Bill, 2011: Intended to criminalise unlawful caste panchayat gatherings that prevent marriages, but lapsed.
  • Law Commission’s 242nd Report (2012): Recommended a separate law against honour killings.

Judicial Stand

• Lata Singh vs State of UP (2006): SC called honour killings “barbaric and shameful” and stressed protection for inter-caste couples.
• State of UP vs Krishna Master (2010): Perpetrators of honour killings sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Arumugam Servai vs State of TN (2011): Parents can cut ties but cannot threaten children for inter-caste marriages.
• Shakti Vahini vs Union of India (2018):
  • Honour killings are a violation of fundamental rights.
  • Directed states to create special cells to protect threatened couples.
  • Police must act against unlawful Khap Panchayat diktats.

The Cycle of Normalisation

Honour killings are not random acts of violence but products of a structural cycle:

• Cultural conditioning teaches caste boundaries.
• Community pressure polices behaviour.
• Religious/Traditional norms provide legitimacy.
• State inaction ensures impunity.
• Families internalise honour logic, perpetuating the cycle for the next generation.

This cycle sustains caste and legitimises violence in its defence.

Way Forward

• Dedicated Legislation
  • Enact a specific anti-honour killing law defining the crime, fixing accountability, and prescribing deterrent punishments.
  • Similar to how anti-dowry or anti-Sati laws directly addressed social evils.
• Electoral Disqualification: Bar convicts of honour killings from contesting elections for at least 5 years — reducing the social legitimacy of caste/community diktats.
• Fast-Track Courts: Establish special courts for the speedy trial of honour killing cases to ensure justice and deterrence.
• Amendment to the Special Marriage Act, 1954: Reduce the 30-day public notice period to 1 week, protecting couples from exposure to threats.
• Protection Measures
  • Strengthen Safe Houses for inter-caste and inter-faith couples (as directed in Shakti Vahini).
  • Police sensitisation and accountability mechanisms.
• Social Reform & Awareness
  • Promote inter-caste marriages through incentives (Dr Ambedkar Scheme) and public campaigns.
  • Encourage constitutional morality (as emphasised by Dr Ambedkar) over social morality.

Conclusion

Honour killings in India are not merely crimes of passion but systemic crimes of caste and patriarchy. They are reinforced through family, community, and informal caste institutions, legitimised by social morality, and often overlooked by weak state enforcement.

To eradicate them, India needs a multi-pronged approach:

• Strong legal deterrence,
• Swift judicial action,
• Social reform through education and awareness,
• And protection for couples exercising their fundamental right to choose.

Only then can the ideals of equality, liberty, and dignity be enshrined in the Constitution and triumph over regressive notions of honour.

Based on The Hindu article How ‘honour’ killings in India are reinforced and legitimised