Shielding ‘choice’ from ‘honour’ – The Hindu

TThe Gujarat government recently suggested that couples wishing to register their marriage must produce their parents’ identity documents and declare that they have been notified. In contrast, the just-concluded Budget session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly saw the bill passed. Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Dignity and Custom (Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava) Bill, 2026Providing legal protection to couples in inter-caste relationships who are subjected to threats, violence or coercion by any person, including their own family members.

The bill clearly states: “When two adult individuals agree to marry, the consent of the person’s parents, family, caste or clan is not required.”

Following the gruesome murder of a 20-year-old pregnant teenager by her father in Inam Veerapur village of Hubballi taluk in northern Karnataka in December 2025 for marrying a Dalit man, the debate on the need for a special law to curb “honor”-related violence had gained traction in Karnataka. According to statistics presented to Parliament by Home Minister G. Parameshwara, Karnataka has witnessed 15 hate crimes against couples recently. last five years.

a long fight

The phrase “Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava” in the title of the bill is reminiscent of an era. vachana Here’s a rough translation from the 12th-century philosopher-reformer Basavanna: “‘Who is he, who is he, who is he?’ / Say ‘It’s ours, it’s ours, it’s ours’.” It contains a message of inclusivity from a reformer whose decision to facilitate marriage between a Dalit man and a Brahmin woman led to intense social unrest and violence.

The bill states “an alarming increase in violence, harassment, threats and social exclusion (often carried out in the name of caste hierarchy, honour, tradition) against individuals exercising their right to marry, especially young couples.” She notes that such crimes disproportionately affect women and men from marginalized communities, who are subject to patriarchal control over their choices.

The stated purpose of the bill is not only to “affirm and protect the freedom, dignity and autonomy of all persons, to prevent crimes committed in the name of “honour” and tradition, but also to “provide legal safeguards, remedies and institutional mechanisms for prevention, compensation and rehabilitation.”

The bill proposes penalties, including at least five years in prison, for murders committed in the name of “honour” and criminalizes social boycotts linked to such cases. It provides institutional support to couples, including police protection within six hours of receiving a complaint, the establishment of state-supported safe houses in each district, and access to legal aid and assistance from non-governmental organisations.

Facilitating the celebration of marriages, providing counseling services, etc. He suggests creating a special cell to prevent crimes in the name of “honour” with a 24-hour Eva Nammava Vedike helpline in all districts.

Permanent uncertainties

The special provisions envisaged for the protection of couples subject to exclusion or violence in inter-caste relations are undoubtedly welcome. But given that crimes against such couples continue despite existing laws, the question remains of how effectively they will be enforced. This question becomes all the more relevant where the zeitgeist is more inclined towards the consolidation of castes rather than their destruction; This is evident not only in the way we choose, or are allowed to choose, our life partners, but also in the way candidates are chosen by political parties and chosen by voters to come to power.

Interestingly, although the new bill to support inter-caste couples has been passed, Karnataka is yet to roll back the controversial Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022 (anti-conversion bill) introduced by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government, despite Cabinet approval. While this law, with its stringent provisions, deals with a range of issues related to conversion, cases in India show how this comes into sharp focus in the case of interfaith marriages (so-called ‘love jihad’).

Of course, consenting adults in interfaith relationships who are subject to hostility and violence also deserve support.