KOCHI: The honour killings, which had been the ugly underbelly of the caste-riven societies in the other states, have started to pervade the Kerala society with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recording as many as five such cases in the state since 2014.A chilling reminder of the state’s slide into the casteist mayhem is borne out by the two recent cases of honour killing witnessed here.
Kevin P Joseph, a Dalit Christian from Kottayam, who was murdered on Monday for marrying a girl from an upper-class Christian household, has been the latest instance of the dreadful practice taking root in Kerala society.The Kottayam incident is the second one reported in the state in recent times and the fifth since 2014, as per the records.
According to the NCRB records, there have been five honour killing cases — three murders and two cases of culpable homicide not amounting to murder — registered in Kerala between 2014 and 2016.
Psychiatrist C J John said these instances are a warning sign of the communal divide existing in the socio-political scenario of the state.
“Due to several reasons the communal divide is happening in the state, though in a somewhat subtle manner. But we should resist the divide in the society. However, this is not being done and the senior citizens, mainly parents, are responsible for creating the divide and the youth are blindly following them without looking into the merits and demerits,” said the psychiatrist.
The Kottayam incident occurred barely two months after Athira, 23 of Pathanapuram near Areekode was stabbed to death by her father on the eve of the marriage. A Thiyya girl, Athira was to marry her fiance Brijesh, 25, from Koyilandy. Since Brijesh belonged to the SC, the marriage was vehemently opposed by Rajan, father of Athira.
“What this alleged honour killing (Kevin) has exposed is the upper class Christian community’s ethical values more than the political affiliations of alleged accused,” said Shibi Peter, a social activist, who is associated with the Centre for Social Studies and Culture, Kottayam.
“The number of honour killings in Kerala compared to the other states is quite low. However, the CPM and church are the two factors maintaining a vigil to prevent marriages with Dalits and tribals,” he said.
Referring to the DYFI release which said several of its workers and leaders had opted for intercaste marriage, he said while this in indeed true, the question is how many of them had married Dalits or tribals.
Recently, the CBI court found two persons guilty in a case related to the murder of a Kasargod native Youth Congress leader for marrying a woman belonging to another religion in 2001.
Balakrishnan was stabbed to death after being abducted. The 29-year-old’s ‘crime’ was that he married a Muslim woman- daughter of Aboobackar Haji of Uppala in Kasargod.
Mohammad Iqbal alias Ikku of Thekkil, Chattachal, Kasargod, and Mohammed Haneef alias Jackie Haneef of Thalangara, Kasargod were found guilty by the CBI court under Sections 120(b) and 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
5 Cases of honour killings recorded in the state since 2014.