ALLAHABAD, INDIA, May 9, 2002: An Indian court has urged state authorities to prevent the persecution of couples from different communities. The Allahabad High Court dismissed a private prosecution for kidnapping brought by a father against the young man his daughter had eloped with. The young couple — from different communities within India’s caste system — told the court that their parents had threatened to kill them if they did not seek a divorce. Describing the caste system as a great evil that was hindering the country’s progress, the court said parents could not legally stop a person who was an adult from marrying someone from another caste or community. Indian law recognizes inter-caste marriages, but certain communities, especially in rural areas, considers them to be contrary to tradition.
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