‘My family must be punished for what it has done’
BENGALURU: About two weeks ago, the nation watched in horror when television channels broadcast CCTV footage of a young couple being attacked with sickles in broad daylight in Tamil Nadu’s Tirupur.
Nineteen-year-old Kousalya survived the March 13 attack, but her husband Sankar did not. She was an upper-caste woman and he, a Dalit man. Their inter-caste marriage had angered Kousalya’s relatives. Her parents are among the suspects currently in jail for having plotted the “honour killing”.
The young couple’s elaborate plans for a happy future together ended abruptly. A fresh engineering graduate, Sankar was to leave for Chennai the next day for a job interview when he was killed.
Without him, Kousalya faces an uncertain future. Having spent several days in the intensive care unit of a Coimbatore hospital, she has come back to her in-laws’ home in Komaralingam village of Tirupur. Her own relatives having turned against her, she is counting on the support of Sank ar’ s father, V el us amy, and brother Vigneshwaran.
How is your health now?
There is still some pain, but they have removed the stitches. I had 36 of them on my head.
What do you feel about returning home?
It is painful.
What are your plans? Will you be staying here in future?
Yes. My father-in-law hasn’t been doing too well. He needs care. I would like to start working again.
What about your plans to continue your studies? We hear an employees’ union has come forward to sponsor your studies.
I cannot be a full-time student because if I go away, there will be no one to take care of things at home. I will continue the course as a correspondence student. I can do that as I am pursuing a computer science and engineering course.
Will you be able to go back to your previous job?
I used to work in a tiles showroom. They are nice people but are worried about what will happen if they take me back. I hope I can get some work doing accounts in some office.
What about your parents? Do you anticipate any more trouble from them or your relatives?
I really can’t say what they will do. I am not sure, they may make trouble again. Or they may just stay away. I don’t know.
What is the cause for such honour killings?
In the Thevar community, the caste identity is more important than anything else. It is more than the love for their child. They don’t hesitate to kill so that a clear message goes out; it is an example, a lesson, to prevent anyone else from doing the same thing. This is a norm among the Thevars.
So who was responsible for the death of your husband?
My parents, relatives, and their supporters.
Will you be able to forgive them?
No, they must be punished for what they have done. They have to bear the full penalty for their crime. They killed Sankar before my eyes.
Do you miss your parental home, your siblings?
I just have one younger brother. No sisters. At first I did miss him a little, but not anymore.