Haryana Offers Safe Houses to Indian Newlyweds Fearing Honor Killing

The London Times reports that India’s couples who defy tradition and enter into “love marriages” will receive protection in safe houses. Police in Haryana report being overwhelmed by hundreds of cases in which couples have been attacked by enraged relatives, often trying to murder them for dishonoring social codes around marriage.

Indian woman sorrows for her great-nephewm killed in an honour killingIn the rural villages of Haryana, caste purity and adherence to traditions are paramount. As a result, the state has grown notorious as the “honour killing” capital of India.

The Times of India said last week: “In many of these cases, local law enforcement agencies are loath to disrupt the social balance by enforcing the law of the land. They turn a blind eye to the illegal activities condoned by village elders.”

The National Crime Records Bureau in India does not list “honour killings” as a separate crime.

Even now, the International Institute for Population Science reports that 95 per cent of marriages in India are arranged by the bride and groom’s families. In most cases, the future bride is never consulted. Read: Safe houses in India to protect newlyweds against ‘honour killings’ via London Times