A local council in the north Indian state of Haryana has banned all girls over the age of 10 from wearing jeans and carrying mobile phones in their village. This is in response to the recent horrific honor killing in Haryana where a 20-year-old woman was beaten to death by her family members and her boyfriend was beheaded. The couple, who were from the same community and village, had eloped and were planning to marry against their family's wishes.
The head of the village council, Rajesh Kumar, told the Hindustan Times that girls, especially college-aged ones, wear "provocative clothes," which invite male attention and lead to an increase in crimes against women. He said the ban was imposed to tackle the "new menace" of honor killings in Haryana.
The council believed that if families restricted their women from wearing jeans and carrying mobile phones, they wouldn't be forced to kill them for dishonoring the local diktat that forbids couples from the same village or community from falling in love.
The council has imposed the ban on all schools, colleges, and other places that women visit. They will also hold monthly meetings to keep a check on violators.
Another village council in Haryana demanded mandatory imparting of moral education at school levels and a ban on porn sites to prevent such honor killings in the state. They also demanded an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act which would prevent men and women from the same community and village from getting married.