Karnataka Honor Killing Case: Dalit Husband’s Anguish After Pregnant Wife’s Murder, Father Destroyed His Own Daughter’s World
Caste Pride Destroyed a Happy Family: Husband Vivekananda’s Painful Revelation After Pregnant Daughter’s Murder, Read the Full Story of the Hair-Raising Incident in Dharwad, Karnataka.
New Delhi: “Manya’s father and my father were friends for a very long time,” Vivekananda Dhoddmani’s voice trembles as he says this. It is difficult for 22-year-old Dalit youth Vivekananda to understand how the wall of caste became so high that a father took the life of his own 20-year-old pregnant daughter. Two weeks have passed since this heartbreaking incident, but the question remains the same.
Everything was fine until the friendship, but as soon as Vivekananda and Manya got married and crossed social boundaries, things changed. Speaking to the Indian Express with teary eyes, Vivekananda says, “I had a dream that perhaps one day my child would play in Manya’s father’s lap. I never imagined that the poison of caste would blind a father to such an extent that he would become his daughter’s murderer.”
An Incident That Shook the Entire State
Incidents of caste violence or ‘honor killings’ have occurred in Karnataka before, but the brutality with which pregnant Manya was murdered has shaken the entire state. While Dalit organizations have protested against it, Lingayat groups have also strongly condemned it and observed a ‘Repentance Day’.
Currently, Manya’s father Prakashgouda Patil and his relatives Veerangouda Patil and Arunagouda Patil are in police custody. They have been booked under charges of murder and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Government and Administration Take Strict Action
Considering the seriousness of the case, on January 4, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that a fast-track court and a special public prosecutor would be appointed to hear the case so that the victim gets justice as soon as possible. He also said that his government would consider bringing in special legislation to curb evil practices like ‘honor killings’.
In Inam Veerapur village in Dharwad district, where both Vivekananda and Manya lived, the administration has increased security. Dharwad SP Gunjan Arya said that eight CCTV cameras have been installed for surveillance at the police station level. Vivekananda and his family have been provided with 24-hour security. To maintain peace in the village, the police have held meetings with the villagers and are also taking the help of local religious leaders.
The love story that ended tragically
Vivekananda, a final-year BA student, says that he and Manya met three years ago when Manya was in pre-university. At the time of the murder, she was an engineering student. Inam Veerapur is a small village with about a hundred houses. Here, 60% of the population belongs to the Lingayat community, while 25% are from the ST (Talwar group). There are only six houses belonging to the Dalit Madiga community, to which Vivekananda belongs.
Being from the same village, they knew each other since childhood, and their families were also acquainted. Vivekananda said that when he expressed his love, Manya accepted it, but due to the circumstances in the village, they could not meet often.
Elopement and police negligence
A year ago, when Manya’s father got wind of their relationship, restrictions began. Manya’s family wanted her to marry someone else. Fed up with the harassment, Manya decided to leave home. The couple eloped, got married in a temple, and registered their marriage. When Manya’s father filed a missing person report, the couple appeared before the police and stated that they had married of their own free will.
Vivekananda recalls that Manya’s father had also threatened them at the police station, but he thought it was said in anger and that everything would be fine with time. Two constables from the Hubli Rural Police Station have been suspended following Manya’s murder. SP Arya acknowledged that there was negligence on the part of the police and that they should have anticipated the possibility of an attack.
The ‘Dark Evening’ and the Unfinished Exam
After the marriage, fearing threats, the couple started living at a relative’s house in Haveri city. Vivekananda started working at a shop. He says those were some of the happiest days of their married life. Manya was very happy, but even the news of her pregnancy did not soften her family’s hearts.
On December 21, when this heartbreaking incident occurred, they had come to the village to update their Aadhaar cards. The hospital had advised that Manya’s records should include her husband’s name. Besides, Vivekananda had to take the Railway Recruitment Board’s ‘Group D’ exam in Dharwad the next day.
Around 5 PM, when Manya was at Vivekananda’s parents’ house, Prakashgouda Patil and his relatives attacked. Vivekananda was not there at the time. When he returned, he saw the attackers assaulting Manya and his parents. Vivekananda was chased away, but by then, the father had taken his daughter’s life. Vivekananda’s parents were also injured in the attack and had to spend two days in the hospital. Irony: The very tradition they followed took their lives
The greatest irony in this entire incident is that Vivekananda’s family followed the Lingayat traditions. Vivekananda says, “I was given Linga initiation in my childhood. We follow the principles of Basavanna (the founder of Lingayat beliefs), and we don’t even cook non-vegetarian food at home.” Despite this, caste pride destroyed a happy family.
Rajan Chaudhary
Courtesy: Hindi News
