The Supreme Court passed a historic judgement on 27 February 2018, stating that two consenting adults have the right to marry each other and it is illegal for any third party to prevent the marriage. It observed that the Indian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freedom and liberty under Article 19 and 21. If any group — like the family, or khap panchayat — try to prevent a consensual marriage between two adults, it is an impingement on the fundamental rights of the individuals and is absolutely illegal.
The judgement becomes especially important considering the high number of honour killings in the country.
The entire judgement has been published here. The Indian Cultural Forum will soon be curating a series highlighting the relevance of the judgement in India.
