What

Honor killing. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as, “the traditional practice in some countries of killing a family member who is believed to have brought shame on the family.” The definition itself is nauseating, but hearing it actually happen in modern Indian society is even worse.

Issue

On March 17 2014 an innocent woman, daughter, sister and wife, was stabbed to death by three men in the “comfort” of her own mother’s home. Making matters even more disturbing, these men were hired to kill her by her own family. All three men later confessed to have killed her, and also revealed themselves as the woman’s uncles! Clearly the first question that comes to mind is why? The answer: the young woman, Vaideki, made the mistake of falling in love with her neighbor, Suresh. Her mother and brothers opposed this union but could not get Vaideki to leave him.  So when her mother found out that her daughter was six months pregnant with Suresh’s child, she immediately calls her home. After marrying the man without her family’s consent, Vaideki, nervously, goes to her mother’s house. Unaware of the potential consequences, Suresh hands over his pregnant wife to the family on March 16^th. After calling his wife a few days later and being unable to reach her, Suresh finally files a report for his missing wife. The mother, brother, and three uncles are currently in jail, but what justice does that give to Suresh? He has just lost his wife and unborn child and will probably spend the rest of his life blaming himself for their death.

Solution

Honor killings need to be brought to the attention of Indians. To everyone. This horrible act cannot continue, and awareness of the issue must be spread throughout the country. One in five cases of honor killing comes from India every year according to statistics from the United Nations. This number is too high! Show your support for an organization called Stop Honor Killings in India by clicking the “Get Involved” tab and see how you can help! Every person makes a difference, you could be the saving the life of another just like Vaideki.

[Image Attribute: Humans of India]