In the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Sarvesh Kumar has been arrested after he was found walking towards a police station holding the severed head of his teenage daughter stating, according to a video taken by the police, that he had killed her in anger after learning about her relationship with a man he did not approve of. Images of the man holding the 17-year-old’s severed head have spread across the internet and one police officer who posed with the severed head has been suspended. Once again, the tragic occurrences of honour killings prevalent in South Asian communities have been brought under public scrutiny with another victim’s story gaining attention in the media. 

Honour killings are murders with predominantly female victims who have been killed by family members, mainly due to being in a romantic relationship with someone that their relatives do not approve of. Eloping, forming close friendships or relationships, or transgressing any conservative and traditional social norm for females are the perceived ‘crimes’ for which the victims are murdered for. Traditional and conservative society in South Asia, but not limited to just South Asian communities, put the honour of the family in the hands of their daughters, although they also withhold many rights and freedoms from their daughters due to patriarchal societal rules. Much emphasis is put upon the women’s chastity and purity, although this standard is not applied to men who are given much leniency in regards to promiscuous behaviour and especially in crimes such as rape, sexual assault, etc. The continuous application of stricter laws and cultural change across India, and all South Asian communities, need to occur to prevent any more victims from this old, conservative and patriarchal mindset. 

In February, a woman was burned alive in an honour killing over an interfaith relationship in Uttar Pradesh. These cases, unfortunately, are not as uncommon as they should be. Current laws and their application are insufficient in handling and stopping these crimes. Widespread change is needed to change the traditional mindsets of all generations in India and in all South Asian communities to create a safer space for women. Traditional and conservative mindsets continue to restrict their access to resources and welfare as well basic human rights and freedoms. For these daughters and women, who are ‘so highly valued in society’ and the ‘pride and honour of their families’ it would make more sense for their lives and wellbeing to be protected and cared for by society, instead of abused and used for the benefits and social standings of others.