There have been shocking media reports of honour killing in different parts of the State in spite of our celebration of economic progress in many fronts. It is a fact that economic growth of the State has not been contributing much in respect of desired social change. Many well-intended protective laws such as Protection of Civil Rights Act 1955 for social change are not reaching to the most marginalised sections of our society and there is limitation in existing laws for prevention and prohibition of honour killing. The issue of honour killing needs a special legislation by State to save life of the young people.
The most recent incident is the case of GitaTanla (17), daughter of Kailash Tanla (45), from Patnagada, Bolangiri, who is a migrant worker belonging to Dalit community. She was brutally killed by her father in front of her grandmother. She was in love with Naresh Tandi (17), a Dalit boy of Saradhapur, Bongamunda. Gita was four months’ pregnant while she was killed. Both Gita and Naresh were working in brick kilns of Andhra Pradeh as migrant workers. The body of Gita was thrown away to the garbage yard near a railway station without cremation. The body was consumed by street dogs there. And, later, it was cremated by the benevolent local youth volunteers of a social organisation with support from local municipality. The State Human Rights Commission has intervened in the case and issued so-cause notice to the district Collector, SP, municipality executive officer of the locality to inquire into the matter and report as this is a serious case of human rights violation. Both Naresh Tandi and Gita Tanla were Dalit migrant workers from the same district but their marriage was unacceptable because of caste to the father of Gita.
There are a number of similar cases happening in different parts of the State with high incidence in district of Ganjam. Swapna, a student of class ten in Dharakot block of Ganjam district, was brutally killed by her brother and father due to her love with a Dalit boy of the same village. The whole family members killed her to save the family’s caste pride. Her body was seized by local police. Another girl Sulochana (22) in Bhanjanagar of Ganjam was killed by her family members. Her body was put into a bag and while Sulochana’s father was carrying it in public, the local people informed the police. The most heartbreaking case was reported from Malkangiri district where a boy and a girl of a tribal community were very inhumanly tortured and killed. Their bodies were thrown into a river, which were later recovered by the Chhatisgarh police. The parents of the victims were threatened by the villagers to avoid informing the police. The cases are not limited to Dalits, Adivasis or interior pockets of south west Odisha. It was also reported from coastal Jajpur where a pregnant teenager of Binjahrapur police station was killed by her parents. The neighbour informed the police and the case was reported in media. In most of the honour killing cases, the girls are being brutally killed in most inhuman manner in a middle age customary practice very systematically followed to maintain purity of religion and caste. There are hundreds of castes existing in Hindu religion and each caste group has been practicing endogamy as matter of caste principles with superior and inferior complex which has been internalised as a culture and tradition. There are caste based organisations that glorify caste pride over rest of the caste and being allowed to function freely with political patronage and used for political power benefits. The elected people’s representatives are very cunningly avoiding such incidents and do not want to change the casteist mindset of the people as most of the political parties have no agenda for social reform.
The condition of women and low caste people in our society needs a radical change to build an inclusive society that respects human dignity, freedom and civil liberties of man and women irrespective of their age, place of birth, caste and other social identities. There are inadequate social legislations by modern State to protect and promote their civil and social rights in social life. The middle age social condition, illiteracy and poor health service to the labouring class, have been contributing to low production and income and finally the quality of life. Poverty is also substantially linked to social issues and the economic backwardness of Odisha has been largely linked to continued oppressive social systems in the tag of religion and caste that deprive a majority of people of their basic civil rights. The literacy rate of women is very lower in Odisha in comparison to male and national average. The literacy of Dalit and Adivasi women in interior pockets is extremely lower. The marginalised poor have minimal access to health service and a majority of people are still depending on old and traditional healthcare practices. Due to lack of health and education, service women and children suffer all social indignities, many tribal women as witch are brutally killed in many parts though the State. The Government has enacted the Odisha Prevention of Witch hunting Act 2013, but it is of little avail. The modern healthcare system has not reached to the grassroots; even drinking water and sanitation facilities are not available for all. The girl children are most unwanted and unwelcomed in family. Female foeticides continue abated violating laws while male child is still most preferred in families regardless of caste and religion. The women are taught to become tolerant and be subjugated to male elders in family especially while decisions on marriage of a majority of young women have no choice but to follow the imposed decision of parents. All adult girls should be treated equally in most dignified manner in family. Our society must change to accept the freedom of women as equals in social life in line of international standards of human rights.
Recently the Government of Maharashtra has enacted ‘The Maharashtra Protection of People from Social Boycott (prevention, prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2016.’ The focus of the Act is to prevent the interventions of caste Panchayats as community based parallel courts to punish couples of inter caste marriage. This Act has been a new step to strengthen civil rights, freedom and dignity of individuals aspiring for change by denouncing age-old prejudice. The Government of Odisha must enact similar legislation in the context of the increasing honour killing in the State and enforce it in letter and spirit.
(Email-manasbbsr15@gmail.com Mob-9437060797)