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Khaps protest against bill opposing honour killing

New Delhi: Even as the Government contemplates laws to tackle the phenomenon of honour killings, khap panchayats remain defiant. Leaders from across North India came together in New Delhi on Monday to oppose same gotra marriages.

The meeting was a show of strength against the Government as nearly 250 khap panchayats from different parts of the country reiterated their demand to amend the Hindu Marriage Act and ensure inter-gotra marriages are made illegal.

"Government should not let brothers and sisters marry. We are all part of the same gotra which means the same blood line. We don't advocate killing anyone. But genetic problems arise due to inter-gotra marriage," said khap leader Shamsher Singh.

The meeting took place even as the Government set up a nine-member group of Ministers to find a solution to the increasing numbers of honour killings across the country. Khap leaders say they have no role to play in the killings cases but maintain that inter-gotra marriages should not be allowed

"The khaps are not involved in honour killing," said another khap leader Mangesh Singh.

It is not the first time that such a meeting was held to oppose same gotra marriages. But with theGovernment not willing to give into their demands as yet, the khap panchayats say they won't stop at this and will take their protest forward.

"We will block roads to register our protests if our demands are not met," said khap leaders.

Even as the Government promises to pass a strict law against honour killings in the monsoon session of Parliament, protest meets will continue and who will finally win the battle remains to be seen.



Source IBNLive