The leaders, in their representation, cited suggestions made by various agencies, private member bills introduced in Parliament and the Tamil Nadu Assembly, and similar legislation passed in other States
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol. Thirumavalavan, Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary P. Shanmugam, and Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary R. Mutharasan on Wednesday (August 6, 2025) submitted a representation to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, urging him to enact a special law against caste killings and to ensure protection for inter-caste and inter-faith couples in Tamil Nadu.
The leaders, who met Mr. Stalin at his residence in Chennai, also enquired about his health, as he had recently been hospitalised in Chennai and was discharged after a week.
In their joint representation, they said recurring incidents of violence against inter-caste and inter-faith couples in Tamil Nadu highlight the immediate need to enact a special legislation criminalising caste killings. “Hundreds of lives had been lost to caste-based violence over the past decade. These killings were not just individual or family-driven, but often stem from social pressure, threats from dominant caste groups, katta panchayats (kangaroo courts), and notions of honour and caste purity,” they said.
The leaders, in their representation, cited suggestions made by various agencies, private member bills introduced in Parliament and the Tamil Nadu Assembly, and similar legislation passed in other States. They also pointed out that such killings were often registered as murder cases, under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code or Section 101 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, without accounting for the caste-based coercion involved.
They urged the Chief Minister to immediately intervene and take steps to enact a special law to ensure safety and protection for inter-caste couples in Tamil Nadu.
Published – August 06, 2025 02:39 pm IST
