TThe Gujarat government recently proposed that couples seeking to register their marriages must produce their parents’ identity documents and state that they have been informed. In contrast, the just-concluded budget session of the Karnataka legislature saw approval Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the Name of Honor and Tradition (Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava) Bill, 2026which provides legal protection to couples in inter-caste relationships who face threats, violence or coercion from anyone, including their own family members.
The bill states starkly that “the consent of the person’s parents, family, caste or clan is not necessary once two adults agree to enter into marriage”.
The debate on the need for a special law to curb ‘honour’-related violence gained momentum in Karnataka following the gruesome killing of a pregnant 20-year-old girl by her father for marrying a Dalit in December 2025 in Inam Veerapur village of Hubballi taluk in north Karnataka. According to statistics provided by Home Minister Parakameshwara G.5. hate crimes against couples in the past five years.
A long struggle
The phrase “Eva Nammava, Eva Nammava” in the law’s title recalls the 12th-century philosopher-reformer Basavanna’s vachana, which roughly translates as “Don’t ask ‘who is, who is, who is he?’/ Say ‘he is ours, he is ours, he is ours.'” It carries a message of inclusiveness from the reformer whose decision to facilitate marriage between a Dalit man and a Brahmin woman led to intense social unrest and violence.
The bill notes “an alarming increase in violence, harassment, intimidation and social ostracism—often perpetrated in the name of caste hierarchy, honor, custom—directed against individuals, especially young couples, exercising their right to marry. It notes that these crimes disproportionately affect women who are subject to patriarchal control over their choices and men from marginalized communities.”
The declared aim of the bill is not only to “affirm and protect the freedom, dignity and autonomy of all persons, to prevent crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’ and tradition”, but also to “provide legal guarantees, redress and institutional mechanisms for prevention, redress and rehabilitation”.
The bill proposes penalties, including a minimum five-year prison term, for “honor” killings, while criminalizing social boycotts associated with such cases. It provides institutional support for couples, including police protection within six hours of receiving a complaint, the establishment of state-funded safe houses in each district, and access to legal and NGO assistance.
It suggests setting up of a special cell for the prevention of honor crimes with a 24-hour Eva Nammava Vedike helpline in all districts to facilitate marriages, provide counseling services, etc.
Persistent ambiguities
Special provisions planned to protect couples in inter-caste relationships facing ostracism or violence are undoubtedly welcome. However, the question remains how effectively they will be implemented, given that crimes against such couples continue despite existing laws. This question is even more relevant when the zeitgeist seems more inclined towards caste consolidation than destruction – evident not only in the way we choose or can choose our life partners, but also in the way candidates are selected by political parties and elected to power.
Interestingly, while a new law has been passed to support inter-caste couples, Karnataka has to repeal the controversial Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act, 2022 (Anti-Conversion Act) introduced by the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government, despite Cabinet approval. While this law, with its strict provisions, deals with a wide range of issues related to conversion, cases from across India illustrate how it is coming into sharp focus in the case of interfaith marriages (dubbed “love jihad”).
Consenting adults in interfaith relationships who face hostility and violence certainly deserve support as well.
Published – 31 Mar 2026 02:01 IST
