DMK allies meet Stalin to press for law against honour killings

With Tamil Nadu witnessing a spurt in honour killings across the state, alliance parties of the ruling DMK on Wednesday have made a strong push to press the Stalin government to enact a special law to curb this menace.

While Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan, MP, CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam and his CPI counterpart R Mutharasan, jointly called on Chief Minister MK Stalin and submitted a memorandum, the Congress staged a token one-day fast at the party headquarters, Satyamurti Bhavan.

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Even though enacting a special statute against honour killing was a poll pledge of the DMK, the Stalin government had not made any step in honouring that assurance in the last four years. The principal opposition AIADMK is silent on this.

The renewed push from the DMK’s allies for the law comes in the wake of the recent gruesome murder of a Dalit IT professional, Kavin Selvaganesh, in Triunelveli. He was hacked to death by the brother of the girl with whom he was in a relationship and this had sparked statewide outrage.

“Enacting such a legislation was well within the powers of the state and hence, we urged the Chief Minister to take expeditious steps in that direction. The menace of honour killing is not only a menace confronted by Dalits. Honour killings against lovers is there in all communities, and as such it is a social issue required to be dealt with an iron hand,” Thirumavalavan, a Dalit leader, flanked by Shanmugam and Mutharasan, told the media after the meeting with Stalin.

“The National Commission for women in 2010 as well as the Law Commission in 2012 have called for such a special law to prevent crimes against women in the name of tradition and honour and provided a framework for this. CPI(M) member A Soundararajan in 2015 had tabled a private member Bill in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

“The then Judge of Madras High Court, Justice V Ramasubramanian, had emphasised this in a verdict. The Supreme Court, while calling for such a legislation, had given instructions to the police on how to act in dealing with such cases,” he said, listing the growing support across the nation for addressing the issue of honour killings.

The VCK will hold state-wide protests to press the demand from August 9 to 11, he said, adding that he would be participating in the demonstration in Chennai on August 9. “The joint meeting with the Chief Minister was also to inquire about his health as he was discharged from hospital last week,” he said.

“We urged the Chief Minister to bring in a law to address the issue. Already states like Rajasthan are having such a legislation, to curb dishonour killings, another form of gruesome casteist violence, He assured to consider the demand favourably,” CPI (M) Stare Secretary said.

The joint memorandum stated that caste is entrenched through ‘Sanatan and varnashrama dharma, leading to murdering young couples for defying caste and community norms.

“Right from Vriddhachalam kannagi-Murugesan to Usilampatti Vimaladevi and Krishnagiri’s Subash as well as Kavin Selvaganesh, the horrendous murders in the name of honour had claimed more than 100 young lives. Such killings are the result of caste panchayat intimidation as well as toxic notion of caste purity and honour. Under the current legal system, these crimes are reduced as ordinary murders,” read the memorandum.

It also called for defining and criminalising honour killings, allow for prosecution of investigators, including caste bodies and relatives, shift the burden of proof on the accused and ensure fast track courts, special public prosecutors and victim compensation.