In a shocking incident, a tribal family in Odisha’s Keonjhar district was allegedly ostracised socially over refusal to provide Puja materials for the conduct of purification rituals in the village following childbirth.
The incident has been reported from Purunapani village under Ghasipura police limits of Keonjhar district.
According to sources, recently Gunaram Murmu’s wife gave birth to a child and was taken to a hospital in an ambulance following the delivery. Citing that the village road became ‘impure’ due to the transportation of the newborn in the ambulance, the villagers allegedly demanded some Puja materials from the family for making offerings to the local deity for purification purposes.
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“The residents said the village and the road became desecrated due to birth of the child in our family and her transportation. In order to conduct purification rituals in the village, they demanded three roosters, one pot of handia (country liquor) and lime stone powder as offerings to the deity. When I refused to give in to their demands, they ostracised our family. I have lodged a complaint with the police in this regard,” said Gunaram Murmu, the complainant.
As per the local tradition, if a child is born in any family in the village, a Puja is performed before the village deity. The villagers claimed that the family broke the tradition and refused provide the Puja materials. However, they denied the allegations of social boycott of the family.
Siba Sankar Marndi, a villager said, “There is an old tradition and we asked him (Gunaram) to provide some Puja materials. However, he refused to provide the same and instead lodged a police complaint against us.”
Meanwhile, the police are reportedly trying to resolve the issue.