CHENNAI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) on Sunday announced its offices across Tamil Nadu will be open for couples entering inter-caste and self-respect marriages, citing the absence of a dedicated State mechanism to register or support such unions.
CPM State Secretary P Shanmugam made the announcement at a conference organised by rights group Evidence in Mylapore, which was focused on caste-based honour killings. The CPM urged the Tamil Nadu government to enact a special law against caste-based honour killings and ensure its passage in the coming Assembly session.
He pointed out that honour killings were not confined to clashes between Scheduled Castes (SCs)/Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Castes (OBCs) but also occurred within these communities.
“In Tirunelveli district alone, 240 murders have taken place in a year. The situation is going out of control. While society is beginning to build resistance against honour killings, we are also witnessing a disturbing culture of celebrating the killers,” he said.
“Such laws need to be passed and the government should not worry about caste-vote equations,” he said, adding that while legislation alone may not end the practice of honour killing, a dedicated law is vital to curb such “ruthless happenings” in society.
The conference organised by rights group Evidence brought together political leaders, activists, and artistes. Among those who stressed the need for a standalone law were VCK deputy general secretary Vanni Arasu, May 17 Movement coordinator Thirumurugan Gandhi, Dravidar Viduthalai Kazhagam president Kolathur Mani, director Ameer, and actor Sathyaraj.
Vanni Arasu emphasized that a separate law was necessary, as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act does not fully address the issue. “These killings are not simply SC/ST versus others. They happen within SCs and within OBCs too,” he said.
Speakers collectively pressed the State to move beyond political hesitation and take legislative action to put an end to honour killings.