A Take On Honour


India (especially North India) and honour killing goes together way back. But the rate at which they are increasing lately is alarming.Today I read an article in Times of India which is giving me goosebumps. Nineteen killings between 19th April 2010-30th June 2010, covering 80 days; so roughly one murder every four days. And as the article correctly states, it's not about caste or 'gotra', it is actually about love and emotion.

Still many families consider falling in love to be sign of having no family or societal values, it signifies defying elders' words or 'Aagya'. Earlier, I personally, had a notion that such things happen only in villages, where people are not very educated and liberal minded. but, how wrong I have been. What can you say about NRI Punjabis residing in the UK killing their daughters/daughters-in-law? About Delhi-based journalist Nirupama Pathak's death? What was her fault--only that she was in love with a boy from another caste!! All killings that have taken place are because of marriages/relationships..because the couples dared to choose the person they want to spend their lives with...because their elders' honour have marred because of their love...

But since when did love became a bad thing? How can love bring bad name to a family when it actually binds a family? How can love deplete honour of a family? Do the killers think that they will be going to some special heaven because they have 'protected the family's honour'? God is all love Himself....how can He ever advocate killing love altogether?

Honour killings are not restricted to Hindus only (although it's more prominent). It is also common in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle-East countries. And in the Middle-East, there are instances where couples are beheaded in public!! Whatever be the method, whichever may be the place...honour killings were, are and always be ghastly and inhumane.

Seeing and hearing such news, only makes me thank the Almighty all the more. I thank Him for giving me birth in the North East, where parents are not murderers....where love is not considered heinous, where emotions play a major role in lives...where I can breathe and say that I am alive...


TOI article: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Honour-killings-North-India-wages-a-vicious-war-against-love/articleshow/6112387.cms

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