Basics and Context
- Definition: ‘Honour’ killing → Murder committed by family/community members to protect perceived “honour” when individuals defy caste, religious, or gender norms (usually in marriage/relationships).
- Legal Status: No specific law against “honour killing” in India; prosecuted under Indian Penal Code (302 – murder).
- Relevance: Represents intersection of caste, patriarchy, and family authority.
- Recent Case: C. Kavin Selvaganesh’s murder in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu (Aug 2025) underscores persistence of caste violence.
Relevance : GS 1(Society ) , GS 2(Social Issues, Constitution , Fundamental Rights)
Caste System as a Social Phenomenon
- Not an individual practice: Caste survives because of family structures, community reinforcement, and social customs.
- Transmission: Children internalize caste boundaries (who to talk to, marry, or avoid) long before reasoning age.
- Endurance: Despite education, urbanization, and democracy, caste remains resilient due to its deep embedding in rituals, marriage arrangements, and family honour.
The Role of Inter-Caste Marriage
- Statistical Reality:
- National rate: ~5% (IHDS-II).
- Higher rates in States like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala (where Dalit communities are more empowered).
- Paradox: These States also record higher honour killings → violence not where caste is strongest, but where it is most challenged.
- Reason: Inter-caste unions, especially Dalit men + dominant caste women, threaten entrenched hierarchies → provoke violent backlash.
Honour Killings as Hierarchy under Siege
- Misconception: Violence = strength of caste.
- Reality: Violence erupts when caste boundaries are breached → a sign of insecurity and resistance to losing control.
- Legitimisation: Families justify killings as protection of lineage, honour, or purity.
Tamil Nadu’s Caste Paradox
- Progressive Front: Strong anti-caste politics, social justice movements, and vibrant civil society openly condemn caste killings.
- Contradiction:
- Public Sphere: Democratic voices, protests, legal activism.
- Private Sphere: Family rituals, marriage negotiations, social media caste glorification.
- Result: Coexistence of anti-caste culture collectively and caste pride individually.
- Social Media Factor: Anonymity fosters defence of caste killings, reinforcing prejudice in hidden ways.
Family as the Core Vehicle of Caste
- Transmission Mechanism: Families enforce caste rules through:
- Rituals (marriages, dining, festivals).
- Social expectations (whom to marry, where to live).
- Emotional pressure (honour/shame narratives).
- Family = Caste’s strongest institution → breaking family’s centrality may weaken caste.
Changing Family and Youth Dynamics
- Global Shifts (South Korea, Japan, etc.): Declining marriage rates, fertility collapse, rise of single living, cohabitation.
- India’s Youth Trends: Increasing focus on individual autonomy, emotional well-being, self-growth.
- Effect: As family weakens as the core social unit, caste loses its vehicle of survival.
- Not a revolution, but gradual lifestyle evolution undermining caste control.
Broader Social Justice Dimension
- Education + Employment Access (esp. Dalits): Equal interaction in workplaces, cities, colleges → caste hierarchies challenged.
- Romantic Relations: Represent both love and a political act of resistance to caste supremacy.
- Democratic Culture: Strong resistance movements (esp. Tamil Nadu) keep caste violence under public scrutiny, unlike in States where silence prevails.
Challenges in Addressing Honour Killings
- Legal Gap: No special law criminalising honour-based crimes (though Prohibition of Unlawful Assembly for Honour and Tradition Bill was proposed).
- Community Silence: Collective justification/normalisation of violence makes prosecution harder.
- Digital Glorification: Social media reinforcing caste pride anonymously.
- Victim Protection: Inter-caste couples face social boycott, harassment, lack of institutional support.
Way Forward
- Legal:
- Specific legislation recognising “honour crimes.”
- Fast-track courts + victim protection mechanisms.
- Social:
- Strengthen inter-caste youth movements.
- Counter caste glorification on social media with digital counter-narratives.
- Cultural:
- Reform family as an institution → promote values of autonomy, choice, dignity.
- Integrate anti-caste education in schools, popular media, and cultural narratives.
- Policy: Incentivise inter-caste marriages (schemes like Dr. Ambedkar Scheme must be strengthened).
