Report No. 242

8. Counselling and awareness

8.1 Apart from legislation to effectively curb honour related crimes, it is equally important that the steps should be taken to organise counselling programmes for the village communities, for instance to explain to them that sagotra marriages are not opposed to law, religion 'sadachar' or medical science.

In the initial stages, social workers and volunteers may not be in a position to accomplish this task as there may meet stiff resistance and they may not able to build up much needed trust. The spiritual or religious leaders or respected elderly persons like retired officials and political personalities, members of legal profession, teachers, etc., can be requested to address the village gatherings and explain to them the real position and the need to shed superstition and abominable practices.

So also the services of medical practitioners of repute should be utilised by the official establishment to convince the people that the sagotra marriages do not have any adverse effects on the health and well-being of the couple or progeny. Side by side, discourses on electronic media by respected persons and scholars should be organised. Media too can play very useful role in shaping the mindset of the people concerned. So also, the District and Taluqa Legal Services bodies can undertake this task through appropriate means.