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| India-Pakistan |
| A gruesome murder |
| 2014-06-29 |
[DAWN] THE beheading of a recently married couple in Sialkot's Daska tehsil on Friday is the latest addition to an unending series of incidents in which antediluvian notions of family honour get the better of sanity. Two young people attracted to each other decided to tie the knot despite threats by disapproving relatives. But in doing so, they exposed themselves to serious consequences just like so many others before them 'guilty' of the same 'crime'. Even then, the brutal manner in which the two were punished is akin to the execution-style killings carried out by the cruellest and most vengeful of elements. This did not have the appearance of an ordinary crime committed in the heat of the moment. The two were first kidnapped and tied with ropes. They were then killed in a deliberate act that must have spread over many minutes. The murderers, it is said, then celebrated the killing. A day after the incident, on Saturday, the police placed in durance vilePlease don't kill me! the six suspects nominated in an FIR. Yet another honour killing trial is about to begin, but society can at best express its sorrow. 'Love marriage', often a metaphor for rebellion by two individuals who are only trying to exercise a basic right, is forever in discussion in the country. The disapproval with which our society regards it is betrayed at the outset in the diction of numerous police FIRs that record these incidents. The police are quite fond of listing 'elopements' and the media corps is inclined to borrow the same terminology in its reporting of such incidents. The tone is thus set, and fortunate are the couples who manage to get away with mere societal censure. The unlucky ones are those who face greater risks. They are chased by bloodthirsty relatives whose actions often enjoy immunity. It is a shame that, in this day and age, couples marrying for love have to frequently move the courts for protection. This indicates an ailment that has long gone untreated, and willingly so. |
| Posted by:Fred |