New Delhi: In 2002, when Nitish Katara, 24, was killed by Vikas Yadav, son of an Uttar Pradesh politician, D.P. Yadav, it was considered a one off case.
Katara was in love with the politician's daughter Bharti and Vikas, in his confession to the crime had admitted, "The affair was damaging my family's reputation."
Ever since, scores of young couples have been murdered, many at the behest of the khap panchayats of caste councils, in the name of honour killings, especially in the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The khap panchayats have opposed same sub-caste marriages and have demanded the government amend the Hindu Marriages Act to enforce a ban even as the government has been drafting a legislation dealing specifically with honour killings ordered by the panchayats.
Numerous murders
But the level of the government's seriousness can be gauged by the fact that after numerous murders that have made headlines, lives of young couples in love continue to be in danger.
"That's because the government has allowed these panchaya ts to take place and the political leaders, for the sake of votes, will not intervene. Moreover, the police do what the politicians ask them to. It is up to the people to come out in support of the couples who want to marry across caste lines," says Sanjoy Sachdev, Chairman of Love Commandos, a group of volunteers who have set up a help line to rescue young couples in distress.
Their 24-hour number — 9313784375 — now rings day and night. What started as a mission by a handful of people last year has become a national movement with more than 220,000 volunteers across the country.
"We began on a small note on Valentine's Day last year. And it's overwhelming to realise that within a short span we have volunteers from the remotest villages of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to the major metropolitan cities coming in support of the youngsters. These volunteers include media persons, doctors, lawyers, engineers, shopkeepers and students working for the cause."
Different channels
Although the state of Haryana has hogged the limelight in honour killings, Sachdev revealed that Andhra Pradesh was the worst when it came to killing of love birds. "Initially, when we began the help-line service, language was a barrier, but now the call is transferred to different channels [a total of 12 in number] across the country and immediate help is provided to the caller," he said.
On getting a call, we promptly analyse whether the person requires counselling or actual assistance. "The next line of action begins thereafter and we arrange assistance accordingly."
Love Commandos has saved hundreds of couples of different religions and castes from the clutches of death and helped them marry.
"In our so-called progressive society, a father does not hesitate watching a love story on screen with his daughter, but when it comes to real life, love is social stigma and he sets different diktats for his daughter," says Sachdev, a former media person, who lives in Old Delhi.
He claimed that Love Commandos has received numerous threatening calls, not only from individuals but also from some right-wing organisations. "All this has made us more determined to fight for the cause of young people who have every right to choose their life-partner, he added.
Curbs: Jeans, tops banned
In what is being dubbed as a ploy to prevent girls from living the way they want, a khap panchayat in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has banned girls from wearing jeans and tops.
In a meeting held in Bhainswala village, the elders decided: "They will not allow girls to wear the provocative outfits that violate socially accepted ethical boundaries." And that the girls should wear salwar and kurtas only.
Blaming the attire for "bad effect", the khap panchayat led by Battisa Khap Council head Baba Surajmal passed the diktat which said the "objectionable clothes" provoked eve-teasing incidents and encouraged young couples to elope.
Earlier, caste councils had banned the use of mobile phones by unmarried girls in the district. The same argument was used saying the phones encouraged young women to step out of the house.