Panel Set Up to Prevent Honour Killings in Tamil Nadu
The commission would also recommend suitable preventive measures to avert honour killing in future and suggest an action plan for creating awareness among public to prevent honour killings
Chennai: The State has constituted a commission headed by retired judge of the Madras High Court, K N Basha to make ‘requisite recommendations’ for framing a dedicated law to prevent ‘honour killing’ by collecting opinions from political parties, legal experts, social activists, victims and the common people.
With retired IAS officers V Palanikumar and S Ramanathan as members, the Commission would also consist of legal experts, progressive thinkers and anthropologists, said the government order issued on the basis of the announcement made by Chief Minister M K Stalin on the floor of the Assembly on October 17.
Examining the provisions of the Constitution, existing laws, orders and policies of the Union and different State governments relating to action against honour killing and suggesting a suitable legal framework were among the terms of reference for the Commission.
Collecting past data relating to the honour killings in the State from related agencies and analyzing the data to identify the social and systemic factors contributing to the problem was one of the terms of reference.
The commission would also recommend suitable preventive measures to avert honour killing in future and suggest an action plan for creating awareness among public to prevent honour killings.
In three months, the commission would have to come up with specific, sustainable and actionable recommendations and submit the report to the Government, which would introduce the new law to curb honour killing and ensure justice for the victims.
The Chief Minister’s announcement on the floor of the House on October 17 had followed a series of demands from the members of the House and others from outside for a dedicated law to punish those unleashing violence against couples marrying against the wishes of their family and community leaders.
Though the problem had been persisting for a long time in Tamil society and many young people had lost their lives in the process, social activists and some politicians had felt the need for a specific law against the crime that is otherwise taken as any other murder or assault case.