Odia Defence Officers Ostracized in Ganjam Village, Approach NHRC for Justice

Bhubaneswar: Two cousins serving Indian defence forces are suffering social ostracization in their native village Kalamba in Ganjam district because of their inter-caste marriages. They have moved the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking justice, reported The Statesman.

One of these cousins, Arbind Kumar Pradhan is in the Indian Air Force, while the other Binay Kumar Pradhan is in the Indian Navy. They are from the Balasi caste.

Recently they got married to girls of the Khandayat caste. By that, they broke the strict rules of the caste system continuing in the Kalamba village.

Even in the twenty-first century, inter-caste marriage is an unacceptable taboo in this village. As reported by The Statesman, Binay Kumar said, “We are bearing the brunt of rigid and complex caste systems. Life has become hell for us. Our relatives have been stopped from visiting us. We are unwanted in our own birthplace. It is a cursed life as the entire village has severed social ties. We are not invited to any of the village functions.”

“We are running from pillar to post- right from the local police station to government officials. But the exercises have ended in futility. It really haunts us as we are branded ‘unwanted’ in the society,” he added.