Hyderabad: Amrutha Varshini, whose husband was murdered in an ‘honour killing’, has taken her fight against casteism to social media.
Varshini launched a Facebook page “Justice for Pranay” to protest against caste discrimination and said she will dedicate her life to build a “caste-free society”.
Varshini, who hails from an upper-class Vysya family, married a Dalit-Christian youth Pranay Kumar in January. In an incident that has sparked public outrage, Kumar, 25, was killed last week in Miryalaguda town of Nalgonda district in Telangana. Police have arrested Varshini’s father T Maruti Rao, uncle Shravan and five others on the charge of hiring contract killers to murder Kumar after attempts to separate the couple through threats had failed.
In her first post on the Facebook page Varshini wrote: “Don’t worry Pranay... [you are] not alone... Not only me [you] are in the heart of crores of people... Many people are fighting for justice.”
She appealed to people to cooperate with her in installing a statue of Kumar in Miryalaguda as a symbol of the fight against caste discrimination.
Varshini, who is seven months pregnant, said that after delivering their child she will dedicate her life to building a society free of caste violence and repression.
Apart from numerous photos of protests and candle light vigil to demand justice for Kumar, the Facebook page also has several videos of the young couple in love.
Another post on the page demanded that along the lines of the “Nirbhaya Act” against rape, there should also be a Pranay Act to given stringent punishment to those who victimise couples and perpetrate so-called honour killings.
