DMK should ignore opposition to separate law against honour-based crimes from caste outfits: Thirumavalavan

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder Thol. Thirumavalavan, on Wednesday, said the DMK government should ignore the opposition of the caste outfits in the issue of enacting a separate law against honour-based crimes and pave way for a ‘democratic revolution’.

Mr Thirumavalavan met with Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, along with CPI and CPI (M) state secretaries, R. Mutharasan and P. Shanmugam, on Wednesday. On the other hand, the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee observed a day’s fast led by its SC wing leader, M.P. Ranjan Kumar, inside the Sathyamurthy Bhavan.

Mr. Thirumavalavan pointed out the Hindu Marriage (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 1967, which legalised self-respect marriages, and the implementation of Mandal Commission’s recommendations, providing 27% to backward classes in government jobs and in education, also faced stiff opposition from upper castes and dominant castes.

“These were accepted by the larger society over time. The separate law is not a law in favour of scheduled castes. Honour-based crimes are national phenomena – such crimes are happening across communities and States and even within SCs and OBCs. Even recently, an OBC boy attacked another OBC boy for speaking to a girl from his own caste. It is a law against regressiveness and backwardness. CM Stalin should ignore the opposition of caste outfits as the democratic forces within these communities would welcome it,” he told The Hindu.

He explained to Mr Stalin about the need for a separate law to tackle such crimes and give it a special focus just as we have separate laws for crimes against women, Scheduled Castes and so on.

“We have given him several references that reiterate why such a law is needed as recommended by National Commission of Women, Law Commission of India, Supreme Court’s directives in Shakti Vahini vs Union Of India case and bills introduced as private member bills in Parliament and also a Bill introduced by CPI-M MLA A. Soundarrajan in 2015 in Tamil Nadu Assembly. Even Rajasthan has introduced a separate law against it. We take pride in calling Tamil Nadu a land of social justice and Periyar…and we talk about Dravidian model. He listened to us patiently. He didn’t give us any assurance but we hope CM Stalin would enact a separate law. It is needed today,” he said.