Sunday, July 31, 2011

Hindu cousins can get married after converting to Christianity: Delhi High Court


The Delhi High Court has said that cousins born in Hindu community can get married each other after converting to Christianity. Delhi High Court gave this order after dismissing a plea of a retired judge against his magistrate son who married his maternal uncle's daughter after conversion.
"Respondents (couple) have rightly converted as per the Section 3 of the Indian Christian Marriage Act. Therefore, after conversion into Christianity the marriage does not fall under the 'sapinda' relationship (which is prohibited under the Hindu Marriage Act)," said Justice Suresh Kait while upholding the marriage.
Pulling up the father for filing case against his son, the high court recently said, "This type of thinking is spoiling the broad thinking of new generation and at times it leads to honor-killing.”
"If the courts start supporting this type of issues, they would amount to support the “khap Panchayat” dictat. The courts are not meant to gratify the feelings of personal revenge or vindictiveness or to serve the ends of a private party."
The court imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on O P Gogne for filing "frivolous case" against his son who is a sitting magistrate in a city court.
"The petitioner (O P Gogne) being a retired judicial officer should have been more careful while involving in such type of frivolous case. Thus, he has unnecessarily wasted the time of the courts," Kait said and asked him to deposit the money Rs 10000 with the Advocates Welfare Fund, Bar Council of Delhi.
The court said the magistrate (O P Gogne’s son) has not committed any offence, being a government servant. 
O P Gogne has filed a case challenging the sessions court's April 20 order rejecting his plea against his son alleging that he being a government servant had procured a certificate for marriage by giving false declaration.
The so Gogne’s son had converted to Christianity along with his would-be bride and got married at St Thomas Baptist church, Civil Lines, Delhi in November 2009.
The father O P Gogne went to a magisterial court, seeking his son's prosecution for marrying his first cousin by misusing the provisions of Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872. But the magisterial court dismissed his plea, and then he moved to the sessions court which has given the same decision.
At the sessions court, the father argued that mere conversion to Christianity only few days before the marriage did not ensure his son as an Indian Christian under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872.
Responding to Gogne’s arguments, the court had said that it is not the logical interpretation of the expression 'Indian Christian'.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Haryana theatres refuses Khap movie screening - Khap Movie



Fearing attacks by the Khap sympathizers, the theater owners across Haryana on Friday preferred not to show the much awaited controversial movie 'Khap-A story of honour killing' which apparently denigrates the social institution, held in reverence by large section of the society in the State.
State residents wishing to catch this week’s Bollywood release 'Khap-A story of honour killing' are in for disappointment. No multiplex in Haryana is screening the film after widespread protests by the All India Jat Mahasabha on the controversial subject.
“The cinema owners in Haryana are terrorized to screen the film because of the overt aggressiveness of Khap leaders. Those who were interested to show the movie in their theaters were also forced by the powerful Khap leaders and local police to cancel the scheduled shows,” said the film’s Haryana distributor Manohar Lal. Lal said that at a few places the screening of the movie was stopped by the police saying that the screening could spark violence in the area. 
Haryana Director General of Police (ADGP) Law and Order, BS Sandhu denied any kind of interference by the police during the screening of the film.
“In fact, we are ready to provide any kind of security during the screening of the film. Police personnel were deployed to the cinemas to avoid any untoward incident but the cinema owners themselves decided not to screen the movie,” claimed Sandhu.
The official further stated that the Haryana police was fully committed to maintain law and order in the State and nobody would be allowed to take law in his hand.
Khap and Jat leaders have already opposed the movie for destroying images of khap panchayats. Mr. Om Prakash Mann, state president of All India Jat Mahasabha, told Hindustan Times from Bhiwani that they would not allow the movie to be screened anywhere in Haryana.
“Khap panchayats have never favored or supported honor killings. But the movie is a calculative move to make money by maligning the age-old institution,” Mann said.
Khap movie starred by Om Puri, directed by Ajai Sinha, was released across the country on Friday. However, none of the cinema halls or multiplexes screened the movie in Haryana, except Anand cinema hall in Sonipat. It, too, withdrew the movie's screening after a single show following an advisory from the district police. Posters of the film were also removed from the hall, which wore a deserted look.   
Anant Verma, head operations, DT Cinemas, however, said, “We are not screening the film in South Delhi and Gurgaon halls as we do not have a slot. Other English and Hindi films are doing good business.” 

Friday, July 29, 2011

An Indian Origin Women Killed by Husband in Canada

Vancouver,Canada: July 28,2011 An Indian origin woman working at a Punjabi-English newspaper Sach the Awaaz in Surrey on the outskirts of Vancouver was stabbed to death allegedly by her husband Thursday.
Twenty-four-old Ravinder Bhangu, who had married her alleged assailant in 2009, worked at the weekly English/Punjabi Sach Di Awaaz, where she was attacked.
The police, who arrested the 26-year-old assailant, said the attack was related to marital problems between the couple.” The accused and the victim had been married since 2009,” police said.” Investigators are conducting interviews with witnesses and will be investigating the areas to speak with any additional witnesses.”
The victim came to Canada three years ago. Friends of the victim were quoted as saying that she had moved in with her aunt two or three months ago because of marital problems. Surrey is home to the largest concentration of the Indian community in Canada.
On Friday’s cover of the English/Punjabi Sach Di Awaaz was a somber statement on the 24-year-old’s death.
“It is with utmost sadness we regret to report the following,” the statement started. “One of our colleagues was attacked and fatally injured on July 28, 2011.”
Ravindra Bhangu, a Surrey resident, died Thursday morning after her husband allegedly attacked her at work, stabbing her repeatedly. The 26-year-old husband, Manmeet Singh, appeared briefly before Judge Jim Jardine in court this morning dressed in a white hooded jumpsuit. Singh, known to friends as Sunny, is charged with first-degree murder in the savage attack on his 24-year-old wife Bhangu, as well as aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
The lesser charges are related to injuries suffered by a man who tried to save Bhangu, Crown prosecutor John Labossiere explained.” I can’t really comment much more at this time because the matter is before the court,” he said.
Ravindra Bhangu and Manmeet Singh were married in 2009.
On Friday afternoon, publisher Mickey Gill said he is in disbelief over Bhangu’s death.
He said she was “extremely well liked,” and was hired for her fluency in writing and speaking both English and Punjabi. She worked at the paper three days a week, typing, translating and fielding calls. Gill said after the employees gave their statements to police on Thursday, all felt compelled to finish the week’s edition in her honor.
According to a leading Hindi newspaper  this case can be put under the category of Honor Killing.


Thursday, July 28, 2011

Khap Movie Review


Released on 
July 29, 2011 - Friday
Genre
Social
Banner / Distributor
Ananda Film & Telecommunications Pvt. Ltd
Music Label
SAGA Music
CAST
Om Puri
Govind Namdeo
Manoj Pahwa
Uvika Chaudhary
Mohnish Behl
Anuradha Patel
Shammi
Alok Nath
CREW

Director
Ajai Sinha
Producer
Sangita Sinha, Siddhant Sinha
Lyricist
Yogesh, Nida Fazli, Kumaar, Panchhi Jalonvi
Music Director
Annujj Kappoo
Cinematographer
Lokesh Bhalla
Choreographer
Pony Verma, Habiba Rehman
Action Director
Baboo Khanna
Editor
Sanjay Sankla
Sound Designer
Rajendra Hegde

Khap Movie Review:

'Khap' Movie appears like a blunt instrument cutting through flesh and ironically refers to Khap Panchayats or village bodies that brutally skin young couples who marry within their own clan, village. Although, the Supreme Court of India has banned Khaps from exercising medieval methods to simulate the phrase, 'till death do us apart', no court has proof-read the script of the film, 'Khap', so here we go again.
Luckily, movies made on grave topics are usually done with a lighter parallel screenplay to balance the mood. Unluckily, 'Khap' Movie takes the parallel story so far, it leaves the core issue like an abandoned baby outside a deserted church. So amidst the barbaric chopping, tractor mowing and sword stabbing of couples marrying within their 'Gotra' (clan) in a quaint village called Sajod, lies a dietetically-sugary urban love story.
Welcome to Delhi, where 'sweet16'  Ria (Uvika Choudhary who was seen in Om Shanti Om) giggles in front of her laptop when she's pinged by Kush (Sarrtaj Gill). Under the guise of being a Canadian babe and an Australian mate, the two exchange some tacky messages and odd pictures of each other (a close-up of Ria's pouting lips and a widescreen of Kush's eyes with his shades hanging by the tip of his nose). Clutching on to these quirky photos, the duo indulge in a tedious song to find each other. Being from the same college and not across continents comes in handy and this hunt ends soon. To celebrate their union, we break into another song, which traces their relationship with signboards like 'Love has begun', 'Love in mid-air' and 'Love in danger'. Ok, back to some chop-chop in Sajod. Another couple forgot to spot 5 differences between their 'Gotras' before saying, 'I do'. Chop! Slash! Splat! Enough? Ok, go back to downtown Delhi!
Now, the city and village sequences can't be parallel forever, so Ria's dad, Madhur (Mohnish Bahl) happens to be the son of Khap President of Sajod, Omkar Chaudhary (Om Puri), aka Commander Slash? Disturbed by his father's atrocious ways, Madhur had forsaken Sajod life decades ago to move to Delhi. But what Madhur couldn't give up (and something that we all have to united endure) are his charred and wormlike expressions (possibly produced by placing a transparent box of fart over his face?).
Anyway, to connect the dots, Riya and friends also happen to visit Sajod for a picnic/ field trip/ Khap darshan etc and discover the dark order of the place. Later, Madhur, who is also a human rights officer, is sent to investigate a possible case of honor killings in Sajod. And with all roads heading to Sajod, it's hardly imaginative to guess where this headless chicken is headed. Following a series of 'Papa, I'm not coming home', we have some dishonorable and some accidental killings. Ria and Kush also get intricately mixed up in this severely melodramatic story that results to naught.
Critical character actors that define this story with their unnecessary presence are as follows:
·        Alok Nath plays a random bloated person lecturing college kids in a library about the demerits of marrying one's siblings. He hammers his opinion by screaming across the library, to a point that you want his unfriendly appearance to end or offer him hammer-killing.
·        Kaka or Omkar's household help, who's eternally playing with dough to fix his special 'mooli ka paratha', much-loved by Madhur. Go figure that’s not making it for dinner.
·        Mad village idiot, whose bizarre antics are deliciously scary. He may not have his way with words but like a pug that attracts attention to the scene of crime, he manages to convey an important happening towards the end of the film.
·        Manoj Pahwa and Govind Namdev playing Omkar's loyal aides Sukhiram and Daulat Singh sufficiently sneer, grunt and display numerous flashes of fury.



Honor Killing: Pakistani Man kills his “Six Daughters” for Honor


Islamabad: In a shocking incident, a Pakistani man, Arif Mubashir, has gunned down his six daughters on suspicion that two of them were in relationships with boys in the neighborhood.
On Tuesday morning, Arif Mubashir called his teenage daughters to his room and shot them while the rest of the family, including their mother, watched. His wife Musarrat called the police after the incident.
Mubashir shot the girls after their brother said two of them were in a relationship with neighborhood. He told police officials that he had killed his daughters because they were both “without honor”. The man said his daughters Sameena, 14, and Razia, 16, were in a relationship with college boys from the neighborhood and the sisters had helped each other.
"I should have been immediately told, but the girls sided with each other. They were both corrupt" Mubashir told Tandlianwala Police Inspector Javed Sial.
Police officials have taken Mubashir into custody and filed a case against him. “He does not regret what he did. He boasted that he would do it all over again if he had to” Sial told reporters.”
Pakistan has repeatedly been termed as one of the least women-friendly country.


Om Puri wants to be act like Anna Hazare- Khap Movie


There are many belief systems across the globe, but not all of them are good. The Khap panchayat in Indian villages follows one such custom, which has been killing young couples in the name of honor for years now.

Actor Om Puri and producer-director Ajai Sinha (Ananda Film & Tele Communication Pvt. Ltd.), who feel strongly about this issue, have come together to voice their thoughts through their movie Khap. "Someone has to take the first step to end this. I am not waiting for somebody to wake up one day and that is why I have stood up against it," says Actor Om Puri.

Ajai, who's the director of the film, says the primary motivation behind making this movie was not just success or monetary gain. "It's for awareness among the youth. I have made this movie to make our country wake up and notice that while we might just fuss over everyday life, there are still customs like Khap in villages that don't let people live their lives their way." The film has got no political support because the topic is sensitive and no politician wants to be associated with it. "It doesn't matter if anyone supports us or not," says Om. "We know that we have made the right movie. If Anna Hazare can stand alone, fight against corruption and make the nation realise the importance of it, I am sure we can do the same here. Even if we get support or not, the fight against the Khap panchayats from our side is on!" he signs off.
The movie releases tomorrow with a hope that it's the first step towards eradicating this inhuman custom.

Om Puri as Chautala – Khap Movie


Om Puri's character in the movie "Khap" bears a striking resemblance to Haryana's political heavyweight Om Prakash Chautala.

While the director Ajai Sinha insists otherwise, the get-up of Om Puri's character seems to be adding political angle to the film. Though Puri has clarified that he's portraying just a khap head, sources say that the movie deals with many aspects of Haryanavi life, including the politicking.
Ajai Sinha said, "It's just coincidence. My movie doesn't intend to hint at any politician." Sources say Puri's green turban and its tying style is exactly the same as Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) head Om Prakash Chautala. And that's not all – Puri's name in the film is Omkar Singh Chaudhary.

Monday, July 25, 2011

UP khap bans jeans for girls


MUZAFFARNAGAR (Uttar Pradesh): A khap panchayat (caste council) banned girls from wearing jeans. Village elders blamed the attire for provoking eve-teasing and encouraging young couples to elope.
The khap panchayat led by Battisa Khap Council head Baba Suraj in Bhenswal village passed the diktat which claimed that wearing jeans had a "bad effect" on young women and eve-teasing incidents had increased due to their objectionable clothes".
The panchayat also formed a five-member committee of women to implement the ban in the village. Earlier, caste councils or kangaroo courts, which have been accused of supporting "honor killings", had banned the use of mobile phones by unmarried girls in the district. They used the same argument, saying the phones encouraged women to step out of the home.
all khap panchayats from Shoram village in Muzaffarnagar had assembled to oppose same gotra (sub-caste) marriages and demanded the government amend the Hindu Marriage Act to enforce a ban.
The government is drafting a legislation dealing specifically with killings ordered by khap panchayats.

I am against honor killing: Om Puri



Veteran actor Om Puri, who is looking forward to his upcoming film 'Khap', that deals with the issue of honour killing, says cinema has become a business and he is not happy with the kind of roles he has been offered.
"Cinema has become business minded...it has become more greedy and money-minded. I am not happy about it. I don't believe in the cinema that only entertains. I believe entertainment is important but at the same time it is also important that we raise social issues. We need to talk about or show issues through the medium cinema," Puri told.
'Khap', directed by Ajai Sinha, who is known for TV shows like 'Hasratein', 'Astitva' and 'Ghar Ek Sapna', is a story about much-talked about Khap Panchayat and the issue of honour killing.
"There are several other issues like unemployment, crime and corruption that need to be highlighted. In villages people do not have electricity, water and proper roads. If we talk about Mumbai, there is so much dirt on the street, due to which, diseases spread. There is mosquito and rat breeding."
"The municipality is effective only in places where high class society people reside. Like in Malabar Hill area you will not find dirt while in Ghatkopar, Malad, Charkop areas you will see unclean environment," Puri said.
The veteran actor is also not satisfied with the roles that comes his way.
"Ageing is there not only in films. You grow...you age...and you retire. I am not happy with the roles I am getting...I think I deserve better," he said.
For the past few years, Puri has largely been associated with several madcap comedies such as Hera Pheri (2000), Malamaal Weekly (2006), Singh Is Kinng (2008) and Mere Baap Pehle Aap (2008) and Teen Thay Bhai (2011).
Presently, the 60-year-old actor is looking forward to his role as a stern sarpanch (head of Panchayat) in 'Khap'.
"I heard about the issue through newspapers. I am against this. I believe any person does not have the right to kill anyone. There is no law existing in our country that allows anyone to kill someone. The need of the hour is to implement the law," Puri said.
"You make people aware about the issue and you expect people to raise their voice against it and hope the government to change the laws...to make effective laws. The movie will evoke some kind of debate in the society," he said.
Puri will be seen in Karan Johar's remake of the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer 'Agneepath' with Hrithik Roshan in the lead and in the sequel of Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Don'.
Produced by Sangita Sinha and Siddhant Sinha of Ananda Film and Telecommunications, 'Khap' also has actor Govind Namdev, Manoj Pahwa, Anooradha Patel, Mohnish Bahl and Yuvika Choudhary of 'Om Shanti Om' fame. The film releases on July 29

Khap leaders oppose film on honor killing - Khap Movie



The movie 'Khap - a story of honor killing, based on Haryana's notorious caste panchayats, has invited wrath of the village bodies. 

The khap leaders have demanded a ban on the movie in the region and have informed the Haryana government. The movie is slated for release on July 29 in Haryana. 

Prominent khaps, including Meham Chaubisi Panchayat, Dahiya khap, Bhanwala khap, Dhankar khap and even women's wing of Sarv Khap Panchayat have threatened not to allow screening of the movie in theatres, claiming the promos of the movie indicated that it portrays them in negative light. 

"We have been struggling to make the media and authorities understand us. Khaps bind the society by conserving traditions, but are open to changes. We never order any honour killing. Portrayal of khap members as blood thirsty fanatics is entirely wrong", said septuagenarian pradhan of Meham Chaubisi Panchayat, Randhir Singh.
He also demanded intervention of the government. "The filmmaker is out to cash in on the issue. For him, it's a commercial venture. The promos of the movie indicate that it has shown the khap panchayats as perpetrators of honour killings, which is untrue". 

Santosh Dahiya, pradhan of women's wing of the Sarv Khap Panchayat, which has been advocating participation of women in decision-making in panchayats, said the movie aimed at tarnishing the image of khap panchayats. "I have talked with senior khap leaders and lawyers and am planning to serve a legal notice on the film director. The film is an attack on our culture and we will oppose it," she said. 

Another khap leader, Baljit Singh Malik of Gathwala khap, which is said to be progressive, also objected to the movie. "These people don't understand the pain of the society. Their sole aim is to make money and this film too has been made aiming at commercial success." 

Director of the movie, Ajay Sinha, however, said the film was just a reflection of the incidents occurred in the recent past. "The film is not against khap panchayats. We have also highlighted their positive side. It's about the conflict between generations leading to bloodshed and the film is a comment on this violent phenomenon".

Khap Movie Information

Khap Movie




Release Date
July 29, 2011

Genre
Social

Banner / Distributor
Ananda Film & Telecommunications Pvt. Ltd

Music Label
SAGA Music
CAST
Om Puri
Govind Namdeo
Manoj Pahwa
Uvika Chaudhary
Mohnish Behl
Anuradha Patel
Shammi
Alok Nath
CREW

Director
Ajai Sinha

Producer
Sangita Sinha, Siddhant Sinha

Lyricist
Yogesh, Nida Fazli, Kumaar, Panchhi Jalonvi

Music Director
Annujj Kappoo

Cinematographer
Lokesh Bhalla

Choreographer
Pony Verma, Habiba Rehman

Action Director
Baboo Khanna

Editor
Sanjay Sankla

Sound Designer
Rajendra Hegde

Khap Movie shot in 2 villages in Maharashtra


When director Ajai Sinha wanted to shoot Khap, a film based on honor killings in Haryana, he had his apprehensions about the safety of his actors and crew after he saw the reaction of an elderly man in Haryana. “What wrong do we do if we kill our own children?” was the man's chilling query. Unwilling to shoot in there, Sinha created the ambience of North India's state in Wai and Phaltan villages in Maharashtra.
“It was terribly hot when we shot there, but all the actors including Om Puri, Yuvika Chaudhary and Sartaj Gill were so charged that nothing seemed to affect them. The film is about the change of heart that Om Puri, a sarpanch goes through when his own granddaughter is about to become a victim of the Khap diktats. "In this scene, Om Puri has been thrown out of the panchayat. Yuvika's husband, played by Sartaj Gill, brings a court order to take his wife to Delhi but the villagers oppose them. Om Puri has gone through a change of mind and is ready to do anything to protect his granddaughter,” said Sinha. The film releases on July 29.

Khap (Sarv Khap Panchayats)

Khap and Sarv Khap was a system of social administration and organization in the republics of Northwestern states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh in India since ancient times. The concept of Khap is quite ancient. Written references are found as far back as the Rig Veda times circa 2500 BCE.
Khap is a term for a social - political grouping and used in a geographical sense. The word Khap is probably derived from Latin word corpus which means an organization of individuals. Other parallel terms are Pal, Ganas, Janpada or republic. According to Bhim Singh Dahiya, the word Khap is perhaps derived from the Saka word Satrapy or Khatrapy, and means an area inhabited by a particular clan.For some reasons the political unit of Khap was defined as a group of 84 villages. This unit of measure is found as far back as the Saka migrations/invasions circa 500 BCE into the Indian subcontinent.