Love Commandos battle honour killings

Harry99
By Harry99

Read the article. Long, but worth it.

A spate of brutal killings in northern India has spurred a group of volunteers to set up a helpline to rescue couples whose lives are in danger because they want to marry across caste lines

Kripa waits in her room. A boy slips in and hands her a small canister of pepper spray, which she tucks beneath her dupatta. She waits again. Someone else is coming. She raises the canister, holds her breath and presses the trigger. As her would-be captor gasps for air, Kripa dives for the door, running between the houses. There is a car waiting just outside the village. She jumps in and the driver guns the engine, kicking up dust as they speed away.

A few hours later she is in a safe house with Prashant, the boy she loves, the boy she was barred from marrying on pain of death because he is from the lowly Meena caste while she is a more exalted Jat. And the Love Commandos are celebrating another victory against the forces of conservatism that decree that a couple's feelings have no part to play in marriage.

It is a reflection of just how tightly caste still holds India in its grip that a group such as the Love Commandos should need to exist at all. But exist they do, a volunteer force dedicated to rescuing young lovers from families who would rather kill them than suffer the social stigma of an unsuitable match, and from the khap panchayats, the notorious village caste councils that rule on who can and cannot marry and regularly pass sentence of death on those who refuse to accept their diktats on caste or gotra (another subdivision based on lineage). The Love Commandos' phones ring night and day. What started as a group of like-minded friends protecting couples trying to celebrate Valentine's Day is rapidly becoming a national movement, with 2,000 volunteers across the country and more coming forward every day.

From:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/10/honour-killings-caste-love-c...

By britexpat• 10 Oct 2010 14:49
britexpat

The problem is that WK will probably focus on saving the females, rather than the couples..

By Colt45• 10 Oct 2010 14:15
Colt45

that is why I said you needa join them... you've got it all figured out, they need YOU! :-P

By anonymous• 10 Oct 2010 14:07
anonymous

God is love;

killing and hatred is for the devil

By anonymous• 10 Oct 2010 13:24
anonymous

lol Colt.. Such unorganised love commandos already exist and have been there for a while, this is just becoming more organised. The problem is such people help out initially for the girl and the boy to escape and get married but can't protect them forever.. Once the couple is on their own, they again become susceptible to honour killing unless ofcourse they leave the place and settle somewhere far off.

By britexpat• 10 Oct 2010 12:59
britexpat

How do they keep the safe houses going? It seems to be a temporary solution.

By Colt45• 10 Oct 2010 12:51
Colt45

I think WK should join them too, he's rebellious anyways :-P

By drmana• 10 Oct 2010 12:49
drmana

Some people are going to misuse them for sure...won't last long.

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