hi, do pls cc your responses to the id below as well
[email protected] peace ~ On Fri, Apr 23, 2010 at 8:27 PM, kiran shaheen <[email protected]>wrote: > I endorse the statement. > In Solidarity, > Kiran Shaheen > > On Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 9:32 PM, Kamayani <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> >> Dear all, >> >> Please see below statement about the recent Khap Maha Panchayat. If you >> would like to endorse this statement, please send us a mail by Sunday 25th >> April 2010. We are planning to send it to the Chief Ministers of Delhi, >> Haryana, UP and Rajasthan. >> >> In Solidarity, >> Janaki and Deepti >> for Saheli >> >> [email protected] >> >> >> >> * * >> >> *Love, Honour and Killer Khaps* >> >> >> >> We read with shock and outrage about the Khap Maha Panchayat held in >> Kurukshetra on the 13th of April 2010 at which over 4000 khap panchayat >> members from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi vowed to fight for >> the seven people convicted recently in a “honour-killing” case. They >> valorised those who killed Babli (19) and Manoj (23) and argued that >> those who murdered them “honoured traditional values” which must be upheld. >> The >> khaps decided to collect money from all Khap members to provide support to >> the convicted and vowed to mobilise public opinion against the court order. >> They also decided to give 1 lakh Rupees to the families of those convicted. >> >> >> >> Such barbaric acts and support of these acts must be condemned. No caste >> or community has the license to kill under any pretext, nor to glorify such >> murders. >> >> >> >> In June 2007, Babli and Manoj from Karoran village near Kaithal in Haryana >> were killed. The ‘sin’ for which they were fatally punished was that they >> married each other against the wishes of Babli’s family. Babli’s family’s >> disapproval was linked to both of them belonging to the same ‘gotra’ >> (lineage). This led the panchayat to declare the marriage as ‘void’ and a >> witch-hunt for the two was ordered. Within a month of their marriage, they >> were tracked down and brutally murdered by Babli’s family members to uphold >> the verdict of the khap panchayat. Babli was poisoned and Manoj was >> strangled. Their bodies were thrown into a canal. As in most cases of so >> called ‘honour’ killings, in this case too the killers were family members; >> Babli’s brother, two of her cousins, two uncles and a distant relative. >> >> >> >> The couple had clearly feared the violent reaction from the community, >> because when they eloped and got married they had sought protection from the >> High Court in Chandigarh which in turn had directed the Haryana Police to >> provide them with security. The policeman who was deployed to provide them >> security is suspected of revealing their whereabouts to Babli's family! He >> is currently facing departmental action. >> >> >> >> Manoj’s mother, Chanderpati, refused to take this lying down and decided >> to fight to get justice. She filed a complaint with the police and also >> approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court for justice. Chanderpati lives >> a very difficult life because she has been ostracised by the villagers. They >> do not speak to her, do not sell her any groceries and blame her for wanting >> to seek justice. This is believed to be one of the first instance in Haryana >> where an affected family has gone to court against such a killing. >> >> >> >> As a result of this case, a court in Karnal (Haryana) held 7 people guilty >> and pronounced its Judgement in April 2010. Those sentenced to death were >> all family members of Babli. The head of the panchayat in Haryana's Kaithal >> district, which ruled against the couple's marriage, has been given life >> imprisonment and a driver found to have helped abduct the couple was given a >> seven-year prison term. This verdict was pronounced by Additional District >> and Sessions Judge Vani Gopal Sharma, who herself unfortunately is facing >> threats for this judgement and has been provided a security cover by the >> Karnal Police. She continues to face the Khaps’ ire and has recently >> requested a transfer. >> >> >> >> This was not the first time that Haryana's Khap panchayats have come in >> the way of lovers. In many cases diktats have been made against young >> couples who are believed to have crossed community and caste rules and >> familial authority. In many cases the real threat appears to have been >> ‘choice’ marriage itself. (Although, in some cases marriages arranged by the >> parents of a couple have similarly faced Khap-terror because it was found >> out later that the couple were of the same *gotra*). >> >> >> >> These pronouncements have often led to many young lives being brutally >> snuffed out. While we hail the judgement made in the District and Sessions >> Court as a step in the right direction to bring not only the killers but >> also the khap panchayats to task, we do not support the death penalty. It is >> important that steps are taken to curtail the powers of these self-styled >> panchayats which function contrary to rights laid down in the Constitution >> and act as a law unto themselves. It is also extremely important to >> strengthen people’s faith in the police and judiciary so they can complain >> against such diktats that deny the right to life and liberty and the right >> to choice marriages. >> >> >> >> There are no official statistics on the number of ‘honour’ killings in >> India, but media reports are full of such cases where young couples are >> driven to suicide or killed by family members for marrying outside caste, >> community, or within the village and *gotra*. It is extremely important >> to recognise these so–called ‘honour’ killings as a crime and find ways to >> prevent these killings. >> >> >> >> Not only has the Khap mahapanchayat held on the 13th of April, 2010 >> glorified the killers, but they have also given a loud and clear message to >> the government that caste and family ‘honour’ is above the law. They also >> demanded that the Hindu Marriage Act be amended to ban marriages within the >> same *gotra* for the sake of ‘restoring social norms’. >> >> >> >> *We demand:* >> >> >> >> - That further action is taken against the Khap leaders who made >> statements at the Khap Mahapanchayat that amount to the glorification of >> murder and the valourisation of the killers. >> >> >> >> - That the State Governments and Courts take *suo motu* cognizance of >> various media reports and institute an enquiry into incidents of ‘honour’ >> killings in Northern India. >> >> >> >> - That state governments take strict action to protect the rights of >> citizens to choose their own partners. >> >> >> >> - Strong action be taken against all those who have threatened Sessions >> Judge Vani Gopal Sharma to ensure that the members of the judiciary are not >> intimidated in this manner. >> >> >> >> - That action is taken against all those policemen who did not perform >> their duty, leading to the killing of Babli and Manoj. The ugly nexus >> between Khap leaders, the police, and local politicians should be exposed to >> ensure that fundamental rights laid down in our Constitution are upheld. >> >> >> >> Signatures: >> >> >> >> 1. Saheli, New Delhi >> >> 2. >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Saheli Women's Resource Centre >> Above Unit 105-108 >> Defence Colony Flyover Market >> New Delhi 100 024 >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Adv Kamayani Bali Mahabal >> +919820749204 >> skype-lawyercumactivist >> >> "After a war, the silencing of arms is not enough. Peace means respecting >> all rights. You can’t respect one of them and violate the others. When a >> society doesn’t respect the rights of its citizens, it undermines peace and >> leads it back to war.” >> -- Maria Julia Hernandez >> >> >> www.otherindia.org >> www.binayaksen.net >> www.phm-india.org >> www.phmovement.org >> www.ifhhro.org >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "humanrights movement" group. >> To post to this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]<humanrights-movement%[email protected]> >> . >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en. >> > > > > -- > Kiran Shaheen > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "humanrights movement" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > . > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<humanrights-movement%[email protected]> > . > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
