Inter-caste marriage activist in poll fray

CHANDIGARH: A woman activist, who has helped around 200 couples in solemnizing their marriages, mostly inter-caste, is trying her luck in Haryana assembly elections. Shakuntala Jakhar is the CPI (M) candidate from Nalwa constituency in Hisar district.
Shakuntala, 47, who has even faced life threats in a state infamous for honour killings, is like a helpline for young couples who want to marry outside their caste or faith.She not only helps such couples get married by helping them with legal papers and logistics, but also ensures their safety at times when their own families become their enemies.
She filed her nomination on September 23 and is now busy with campaign. "My opponents accuse me of misguiding the lovers. They don't even want that we raise the issues concerning women's rights. We highlight the problem of domestic violence and veil system and get overwhelming support from women," said Shakuntla. "When we don't hesitate in bringing brides from other states due to skewed gender ratio, without asking for their caste, then why are there so many obstacles in local inter-caste marriages," she asked the audience at one of her roadside rallies. However, the poll battle won't be an easy task for this activist. The Left has limited influence in Haryana where caste is still the biggest influence when it comes to voting. Also, she is facing tough opponents like sitting MLA and former home minister Sampat Singh (Congress) and former deputy chief minister Chander Mohan (HJC).
Shakuntla, who has limited resources compared with her opponents, is being supported by fellow activists from across the state. "Whenever any defiant couple meets us, we just refer the case to Shakuntala," said Vikram Mittal, a Hisar-based advocate who is helping her with the campaign. The path to help lovers has not been a tough one for Shakuntala. In 2010, she received death threat in a case where a dalit boy wanted to marry a Jat Sikh girl despite opposition from her parents. When Shakuntla reached the local court in Hisar to help the young couple, she was attacked by the girl's family. Braving the odds, she not still facilitated the marriage.
Shakuntala, along with other women activists, ran a campaign demanding "safe homes" for runaway couples. "The number of honour killings has come down only after the state machinery started taking action in such cases around three years back," she added.
She is also the state president of All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA), Jakhar has a team of around 1,000 volunteers, who campaign against honour killings and for women rights.