India
Archived — This article has been archived. The information may be outdated.
Tamil Nadu to open district safe houses for couples
The Hindu··29 Aug
Tamil Nadu will open a safe house in every district for people facing honour killings and caste violence. Minister Vanni Arasu said the step follows the Supreme Court Shakti Vahini judgment. Activist Kausalya Shankar called the plan historic and backed caste-killing legislation. Evidence Kathir said 2018 special cells with a 24-hour helpline already exist but work poorly.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Inter-caste couples under threat in Tamil Nadu are to have a district shelter once the safe houses open.
- Survivors seeking protection can cite the Assembly announcement when approaching social justice offices.
- Activists want court monitoring so shelters are not used to press couples to end marriages.
What's Happening
- Minister Vanni Arasu announced one safe house per district in the Assembly on Friday.
- Kausalya Shankar said such a shelter earlier might have saved her husband Shankar.
- Geeta Ilangovan said surviving brides after an honour killing need a place to rebuild livelihood and pursue cases.
What Earlier Protections Looked Like
- Tamil Nadu created special cells with a 24-hour helpline for inter-caste marriage threats in 2018.
- Evidence Kathir said those cells have not functioned properly.
- The government also said it would enact legislation against caste killings.
all-news
