In a shocking incident that lays bare the deep-seated prejudices of caste and honour in India, a young woman's courage has become a beacon of resistance. 21-year-old Aanchal Mamidawar publicly denounced her own family after her father and brothers allegedly murdered her boyfriend, 20-year-old Saksham Tete, in Maharashtra's Nanded district. The crime, reportedly motivated by caste hatred, occurred because Saksham, from a Scheduled Caste community, dared to love outside his caste.
The Tragedy in Nanded: Love as a 'Crime'
From the depths of her personal tragedy, Aanchal Mamidawar displayed extraordinary fortitude. Despite her unimaginable grief, she faced television cameras multiple times, providing detailed accounts that directly implicated her family in the murder of Saksham Tete. Her actions went beyond mere testimony; they were a profound act of defiance against a system that demonises love.
"The culprits should be punished…hanged," Aanchal stated unequivocally, demanding justice for Saksham. Her subsequent decision to disown her family and her vow to now reside with Saksham's family stands as a powerful rebuke to regressive social practices and coercive family pressures that plague much of Indian society.
A Society That Sabotages Love: Beyond Honour Killings
The demonisation of love in India is not confined to extreme acts of violence like honour killings. It is woven into the social fabric through pervasive casteism and patriarchy. Parents often instill a fear of romantic relationships in their children, and when those relationships inevitably form, the backlash can be severe and violent.
This aversion stems from a toxic mix of caste purity and patriarchal control, where women are deemed incapable of choosing their own partners. The fear of a daughter being "defiled" by a man from another caste or religion leads to extreme measures of control, often at the cost of the woman's education, freedom, and personal autonomy.
Furthermore, the introduction of so-called anti-"love-jihad" laws in states like Uttar Pradesh has provided a legal veneer to this social unacceptability. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, has been used to harass and deny protection to interfaith couples. A disturbing pattern emerged from the Allahabad High Court between August 2023 and April 2024, where pleas for police protection from at least 12 interfaith couples in live-in relationships were dismissed. In eight of these cases, the court cited the Act as a barrier, effectively leaving vulnerable couples in danger.
The Fight for Dignity and Legal Protection
Aanchal Mamidawar's ordeal is a stark reminder of the perils faced by couples who challenge social orthodoxy. Her story echoes other harrowing tales of resistance, such as a years-old video of a young woman using her body as a shield to protect her boyfriend from her family's blows.
When society itself becomes an adversary to love and individual choice, the role of the law and the courts becomes critically important. The denial of protection by constitutional courts to couples whose lives are in clear danger represents a grave failure of the system meant to uphold liberty and justice.
Aanchal's unwavering conviction shines a light on this systemic failure. Her bravery, born out of immense pain, is a call to action. It underscores an urgent need for laws and institutions to actively protect the right to love and live with dignity, rather than capitulating to regressive social diktats. Her stand puts to shame anyone who submits silently to oppressive family pressures and outdated customs.
