Following a media report, the NHRC has intervened regarding the social boycott faced by a family in Rayagada, Odisha, due to an inter-caste marriage. The NHRC is seeking a detailed report from the Odisha government. The villagers imposed a purification ritual, including shaving of the heads of family members, for acceptance back into the community. Failure to comply, they threatened, would result in a lasting boycott. The NHRC believes this situation raises serious human rights concerns and has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary. As reported, the woman’s family was compelled to participate in the ritual. The incident took place in Baiganaguda village, Kashipur block, on June 19. The purification ritual, as per tradition, involved sacrifices to the local deity. The woman, of ST status, married a man from the SC community against the wishes of the villagers. The community held a meeting and enforced the ritual to address the perceived transgression. The district administration launched an investigation after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
Odisha Tribal Family Faces Social Exclusion After Inter-Caste Marriage; NHRC Steps In
