India must halt ‘honour’ killings: HRW

HRW urged the Indian government to crack down on village councils and politicianas linked to recent 'honour' killings.

Global rights monitor Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Indian government on Monday to crack down on village councils and local politicians linked to a spate of recent “honour” killings.

The New York-based watchdog said the authorities should not only prosecute those responsible but also strengthen existing laws to prevent religion and caste-based violence.

Most “honour killings” in India target young couples who marry outside their caste, and are carried out by relatives in an attempt to protect the family’s reputation.

The murders are often sanctioned by village councils and prosecutions are rare because, critics say, local police and politicians choose to turn a blind eye.

“Officials who fail to condemn village council edicts that end in murder are effectively endorsing murder,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

The authorities “need to send these councils a strong message to stop issuing edicts on marriages,” Ganguly said.

There are no official figures on “honour” killings, although a recent independent study suggested that as many as 900 such murders were being committed every year in the northern states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2010.