The Gujarat government recently proposed that couples who want to register their marriage would have to submit identity documents of their parents and declare that they have been kept informed. In contrast, the just-concluded Budget session of the Karnataka Legislature saw the passage of the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honour and Tradition (Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava) Bill, 2026, which provides legal protection for couples in inter-caste relationships who face threats, violence or coercion from anyone, including their own family members.
The Bill pointedly states that “the consent of the person’s parents, family, caste or clan is not necessary once the two adult individuals agree to enter into a marriage.”
The debate about the need for a specific law to curb “honour”-related violence had gained traction in Karnataka following the gruesome killing of a pregnant 20-year-old by her father for marrying a Dalit man in the Inam Veerapur village in Hubballi taluk in north Karnataka in December, 2025. According to statistics provided by Home Minister G. Parameshwara to the House, Karnataka has witnessed 15 hate crimes against couples over the past five years.
A long fight
The phrase “Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava” in the title of the Bill harks back to a vachana of 12th-century philosopher-reformer Basavanna that roughly translates as “Do not ask ‘who is he, who is he, who is he?’/ Say ‘he is ours, he is ours, he is ours’.” It contains a message of inclusivity from a reformer whose decision to facilitate a marriage between a Dalit man and a Brahmin woman led to intense social turmoil and violence.
The Bill notes “an alarming increase in violence, harassment, threats, and social ostracism — often perpetrated in the name of caste hierarchy, honour, custom — being directed against individuals, especially young couples, who exercise their right to marry.” It notes that such crimes disproportionately affects women, who are subjected to patriarchal control over their choices, and men from marginalised communities.
The stated aim of the Bill is not only “to affirm and protect the liberty, dignity, and autonomy of all persons, to prevent crimes committed in the name of “honour” and tradition”, but also “to provide legal safeguards, remedies, and institutional mechanisms for prevention, redressal, and rehabilitation.”
The Bill proposes penalties, including a minimum five-year prison sentence for killings in the name of “honour”, while criminalising social boycotts linked to such cases. It provides for institutional support for couples, including police protection within six hours of receiving a complaint, establishment of state-funded safe houses in every district, and access to legal aid and assistance from non-governmental organisations.
It proposes creating a special cell for the prevention of crimes in the name of “honour” with a 24-hour helpline, Eva Nammava Vedike, in all districts to facilitate solemnisation of marriages, provide counselling services etc.
Lingering ambiguities
The specific provisions envisaged for the protection of couples in inter-caste relationships facing ostracisation or violence are undoubtedly welcome. But the question of how effectively they will be implemented remains, considering that crimes against such couples have continued despite existing laws. This question is even more pertinent when the spirit of the times seems more inclined to caste consolidation than annihilation — evident not just in the way we choose or are allowed to choose our life partners, but also in the way candidates are picked by political parties and chosen to be in power by the electorate.
Interestingly, while the new Bill to support inter-caste couples has been passed, Karnataka is yet to, despite Cabinet approval, roll back the controversial Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022 (anti-conversion Act) ushered in by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government. While this law with stringent provisions deals with a gamut of issues related to conversion, cases across India illustrate how it comes into sharp focus in the case of interfaith marriages (dubbed ‘love jihad’).
Surely, consenting adults in interfaith relationships facing hostility and violence also deserve support.
Published – March 31, 2026 02:01 am IST
