One of the very reasons for attributing such motive is that the
dentist couple had found their daughter and the helper in an
'objectionable ' position. Although the circumstantial evidence has
however left many unconvinced but irrespective of what the truth
is, Arushi's case has been in limelight on honour killing.
The saga of this brutal torture has been found to be deeply
embedded in the Northern states wherein the Khap panchayats
have presumed the responsibilty of establishing such norms which
they deemed fit for the rest of the society. In the name of custom
and tradition they have initiated the battle of killing individuals
who have dishonoured their families in any manner.
For instance in Subalpur village of West Bengal’s Birham district, a
20- year old tribal woman was gang raped by a dozen men as
punishment for alleged immoral conduct, is shocking. The decision
given by the head of the Kangaroo court was questioned before the
Supreme Court. In a landmark judgement of Arumugan Sevai case,
the court directed the administrative and police officials to take the
strong measures to prevent such atrocities and should take strict
action against the District Magistrate also.
Several attempts have been made to usurp the role taken for
granted by these Khap Panchayats and Kangaroo courts and these
matters have also been taken before court of law for the lying
interest of the downtrodden masses. It is also another truth that
people have lost faith in the police, and that is the reason why these
courts are taking advantage in their respective places. However,
taking these people before court is not going to curb this problem
because court has already declared them as illegal and wants it to be stamped out. The need is not
to stop the criminal but to eradicate the crime. There is an urgent need for providing the same
platform to the girls who are still considered as curse in some places. Only punishing a few people
would not change the way of thinking of these masses. Social attitude of the society is very much
needed to be changed, if the country is to ensure gender equality and protection for all women.
Women are not just play things in the hands of the male members, they have their own life and
have every right to make their own decisions and the men have to learn to respect that. A change in
attitude is what is needed to protect the women of the society and to ensure their well-being. Every
individual has right to live in the
manner they want to, which
should be respected in every
phase of society otherwise it
would lead to a situation where
the innocents are being
strangulated by the perpetrators
who have self assumed the
responsibility to 'clean' the
society.
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