Maintaining that such cases were bringing 'dishonour to the families, the community and the country', the home minister said that the proposed law would identify the crimes and award punishment with more severity.
A stringent law to stop “honour killings” is on the anvil and the government is geared up to bring the bill in the ongoing session of parliament.
The move comes despite a demand some leaders, including RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, demanding an all-party meet to discuss the issue. He felt a law was not the answer to the problem given the fact that various traditions are followed across the country.
The issue figured in Lok Sabha when Communist Party of India member Gurudas Dasgupta moved a calling attention motion on the subject. The motion evoked a strong response from home minister P Chidambaram.
Without mentioning Khap panchayats, Chidambaram said such cases [honour killings] were bringing “dishonour to families, the community and the country”. The proposed law would identify the crimes and give “more severe” punishments, he said.
“Whoever is the cause of the crime — an individual or a collective — must be punished. My duty is to ensure that laws adopted by parliament are obeyed and enforced. Once the law is made, it must be enforced. Those involved must be punished.”
Chidambaram described honour killings as murder. “Such violence is usually committed by family members and rooted in antiquated traditions and social values. … Moreover, it is difficult to identify or classify an honour killing or crime ... since the reasons for such killings often remain a closely-guarded family secret,” he said.
Dasgupta said that the Cabinet had set up a group of ministers to consider a draft bill. “I am confident that the GoM will give its report shortly so that the bill could be introduced in this session itself,” he said.
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