 "There has been a concern in many regions over the cases of attacks on inter-caste and inter-faith couples. Image courtesy: Pixabay/Representational")
Several recent cases of attacks on inter-caste and inter-faith couples have raised concerns in many regions, including Maharashtra.
Now, the Maharashtra Home Department has planned to introduce a standard operating procedure to ensure their security, along with guidelines for establishing safe houses for them.
Earlier this month, the Bombay High Court directed the Maharashtra Social Justice and Home Department to draft a policy circular aimed at protecting inter-faith and inter-caste marriages.
How safe houses for inter-faith and inter-caste couples will be established
In line with the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Shaktivahini vs Central Government case and directives from the Bombay High Court, the department has mandated the creation of special cells headed by police commissioners and superintendents in cities and districts to protect inter-faith and inter-caste couples, The Times of India reported.
The names of the heads and members of these special cells will be made available on the websites of the respective police commissioners and superintendents, the report said. A dedicated helpline, 112, has also been introduced for this purpose, with assurances that information received through this number will remain confidential.
A government resolution issued by Undersecretary Ashok Naikwade notes that the state government will soon establish safe houses for married couples, according to TOI. These will be located in government rest houses, with at least one room reserved in the circuit house of each district. If such rooms are unavailable, government quarters in tehsil headquarters will be allocated for their use.
If none of these options are feasible, the special cells have been requested to find private rental accommodations for the couples. The cost will be covered by the Social Justice department, which will oversee these arrangements, including the management of guest houses or private accommodations, according to the report.
Further, district collectors and officials from the social justice department will be responsible for ensuring that all relevant information is posted on their websites. This information has to be submitted to the Bombay High Court regularly.
The director general of police, commissioners, collectors, and superintendents will have the duty of updating the state government on the progress and arrangements made for the safety of such couples, the circular said, according to TOI.
What did the court say?
During the hearing of the petition, a Division Bench comprising Justice Revati Mohite-Dere and Justice Shivkumar Dige questioned the Deputy Secretary of the Social Justice and Home Department on whether safe houses had been identified in various districts of Maharashtra.
The Bench suggested that government guest houses in every district could serve as safe houses for couples that have security concerns.
It stated, “Since the number of people facing such issues is not so large, you (state) just have to make sure that it is designated for the purpose across the state and not just in Mumbai and Pune. State guest houses always have a police presence, so you don’t have to deploy additional force as well.”
According to The Indian Express, senior advocate Mihir Desai and advocate Lara Jesani, representing the petitioners, submitted a note detailing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for ensuring the safety and protection of such couples. They referred to similar circulars issued by other states, suggesting that the concept of safe houses should be widely publicised. They also proposed setting up a free helpline, as seen in the SOPs of Delhi and Chandigarh, to assist couples facing threats to their safety due to their choice of relationship.
About six years ago, the Supreme Court directed all states to establish safe houses for couples dealing with security threats due to inter-caste or inter-faith marriages. However, Maharashtra has yet to identify and publicise such facilities.
MANS’ safe house in Satara
The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS), founded by the late rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar, has set up a safe house in Satara district to protect inter-caste and inter-religious couples.
According to MANS, such couples often face severe backlash from their families and society, who may go to extreme lengths to punish those who marry for love, Hindustan Times reported.
MANS president Dr Hamid Dabholkar said that this is the first safe house of its kind, aimed at providing protection and security to inter-caste couples who face threats to their safety due to their choice of marriage, the report said.
This safe house was constructed by Dr Dabholkar on land owned by MANS activist Shankar Kanse. The programme for providing safety and shelter to newlywed couples is being managed by Adhar Sanstha, a social organisation.
Attacks against inter-caste, inter-faith couple
Here are two recent cases of attacks against inter-caste as well as inter-faith couples:
In Tamil Nadu, five members of a family, including the mother of a newlywed woman, were arrested earlier this year for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting her and her husband, The New Indian Express reported.
The accused were charged under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, as well as offences related to kidnapping and harassment of women. They were remanded to judicial custody.
In another incident, four men were arrested in Hyderabad after a video went viral showing them assaulting an interfaith couple near Charminar, India Today reported.
The video showed a group of Muslim men confronting a man holding a baby, accompanied by his wife wearing a burqa. Believing the man to be Hindu, they repeatedly attacked him, expressing their objection to him being in Charminar with a Muslim woman, according to the report.
With inputs from agencies