Villagers in Delhi celebrate honour killings
Members of the Gujjar community in Wazirpur village are applauding the honour killings in northwest Delhi.
The serial honour killings in northwest Delhi’s may have left residents of the capital shocked and outraged but members of the Gujjar community in Wazirpur village are applauding the killers.
Dharmaveer Nagar, 45, paternal uncle of Shubha, who was among the three people shot dead on Sunday, showed little sign of grief while waiting to complete the formalities for the handing over of his niece’s body. “You may consider killing of an individual wrong, but for society, it was necessary,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted him as saying on Wednesday.
“It (inter-community marriages) will break our society, bring down self-confidence. I would say that the youths have done the best thing. This will send a message in society,” he added
Monica, 24, and Kuldeep, 26, were murdered on Sunday allegedly by her brother Ankit and cousin Mandeep for marrying in another caste. Police on Tuesday also recovered the body of 22-year-old Shobha, Mandeep’s sister who too had eloped with a man belonging to a different caste, PTI said.
Even as the police detained at least 22 villagers for questioning, the Gujjars of Wazirpur village closed ranks. They made the right noises by speaking against the loss of lives but said in the same breath how another couple (who was also shot) had motivated the youth against people who have dared to “breach the traditions of the village”.
The community youths do not differ with their elders. Nitin, a cousin of Mandeep, said he would prefer to have the British back. “The foreigners never tried to play with our traditions. This government has scant regard for our indigenous culture,” he said.
The police say the initial post-mortem report of the three victims – Kuldeep, Monica and Shubha – show that there was a difference of half-an-hour between each murder.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2010.
Dharmaveer Nagar, 45, paternal uncle of Shubha, who was among the three people shot dead on Sunday, showed little sign of grief while waiting to complete the formalities for the handing over of his niece’s body. “You may consider killing of an individual wrong, but for society, it was necessary,” the Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted him as saying on Wednesday.
“It (inter-community marriages) will break our society, bring down self-confidence. I would say that the youths have done the best thing. This will send a message in society,” he added
Monica, 24, and Kuldeep, 26, were murdered on Sunday allegedly by her brother Ankit and cousin Mandeep for marrying in another caste. Police on Tuesday also recovered the body of 22-year-old Shobha, Mandeep’s sister who too had eloped with a man belonging to a different caste, PTI said.
Even as the police detained at least 22 villagers for questioning, the Gujjars of Wazirpur village closed ranks. They made the right noises by speaking against the loss of lives but said in the same breath how another couple (who was also shot) had motivated the youth against people who have dared to “breach the traditions of the village”.
The community youths do not differ with their elders. Nitin, a cousin of Mandeep, said he would prefer to have the British back. “The foreigners never tried to play with our traditions. This government has scant regard for our indigenous culture,” he said.
The police say the initial post-mortem report of the three victims – Kuldeep, Monica and Shubha – show that there was a difference of half-an-hour between each murder.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 25th, 2010.