No More Mansplaining
As long as caste in India does exist, Hindus will hardly intermarry or have any social intercourse with outsiders and if Hindus migrate to other regions on earth, Indian caste would become a world problem.
— Dr B.R. Ambedkar
Most “honour killings” reported in our newspapers are caste killings, or killings in the name of caste. The issue of “honour” involves not just dominant caste families but also others. The construct of “honour” is meant to control women and curb their liberty, especially with respect to the right of choosing their life partners.
Marriage is an institution which has strengthened caste system. Caste underpins marriage and anyone who challenges it faces torture and nasty, brutish violence, frequently resulting in death. This even as the Constitution declares caste discrimination and untouchability offences.
Since formation in 2014, Telangana has witnessed at least 50 murders related to intercaste love liaisons and marriages. In many cases, one of the partners was dalit. Desidisa, Kula Nimulana Porata Samithi, Kula Vivaksha Porata Samithi and Kulantara Vivahaala Vedika documented these cases. Several others went unreported.
A few weeks ago, US President Donald Trump and his family visited the Taj Mahal. One wonders whether Mr Trump, multiple instances of whose sexual misconduct are wellknown, or Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reportedly deserted his wife, will ever understand the language of love. As of the moment, India is fast becoming a global symbol of hatred and bigotry.
On the eve of International Women’s Day, news began to break about the suicide of Maruthi Rao – at Arya Vaishya Bhavan, Khairatabad. Rao had been accused of murdering Pranay Perumalla, a young dalit, in September 2018. He had allegedly killed him for marrying his only daughter, Amruta Varshini. Amruta belongs to the Vaishya community. Pranay’s murder had sparked outrage almost equal to that caused by Rohith Vemula’s suicide in 2016.
While Pranay was killed, Amrutha was trolled on social media by Vaishyas. She was condemned for having been an unfaithful daughter. Even though Pranay was dead, the trolls did not spare him either, accusing him of covetousness. Not a word was said to Rao for having so viciously ended a young life.
Rao, his brother Shravan and five other accomplices in Pranay’s murder were in jail for some time. After coming out on bail, Rao tried his best to bring his daughter home. He was rebuffed by Amrutha. She was committed to raising her newborn boy in the company and care of her in-laws.
That rebuff drove Rao to suicide. And the trolling started again. This time, Amrutha was held responsible for her father’s death. Clearly, the trolls had not been chastened by the depth of the tragedy.
In February 2019, there were two other murders — those of Shushruta, a dalit pharmacy graduate, and her baby, Devansh. They were burnt alive by Ramesh, the husband, who belongs to a backward class.