NHRC Intervenes in Odisha Caste Discrimination Case
The NHRC of India is addressing reports of a Scheduled Tribe family's social boycott in Odisha due to an inter-caste marriage. Called a human rights violation, the villagers enforced a purification ritual. The NHRC has requested a detailed report from the Odisha government within two weeks.
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- India
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India has intervened after media reports surfaced about a Scheduled Tribe (ST) woman's family facing social boycott in Odisha's Rayagada district post her marriage to a Scheduled Caste (SC) man. The NHRC labeled the incident a significant human rights violation and served a notice to Odisha's Chief Secretary, demanding a detailed report within a fortnight.
Villagers allegedly mandated a 'purification ritual' for the family's reintegration into the community, which included the forced tonsure of 40 male family members. Non-compliance, according to reports, risked an indefinite boycott for the family.
The Commission's response came after the media detailed the event on June 21, highlighting serious allegations of human rights breaches and entrenched caste discrimination. The incident in Baiganguda village, Kashipur block, underscored the ongoing challenges of caste-induced social dynamics when the ST woman married an SC man. Her family faced extreme societal pressure and were coerced into aligning with community demands to lift the boycott.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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