TV
In a deeply troubling incident that underscores the persistence of caste-based discrimination in parts of rural India, around 40 members of a tribal family in Odisha’s Rayagada district were reportedly forced to undergo a ‘cleansing ritual’ involving head tonsuring after a girl from their household married a man from a different caste.
A video of the act has gone viral on social media, drawing widespread condemnation and reviving debates on caste orthodoxy in modern India.
The incident took place in Baiganaguda village under Garakpur panchayat of Kashipur block in Rayagada. The young woman, belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, recently married a man from a Scheduled Caste (SC) background. Despite family opposition, the couple proceeded with their inter-caste marriage out of mutual love and consent.
Following the marriage, tensions flared in the village, with residents expressing discontent over the breach of traditional caste norms. A village meeting was soon convened, where it was decided that the woman’s family must perform a purification ritual to ‘atone’ for what the community viewed as a violation of social codes.
As part of the ritual, the woman’s extended family—comprising 40 members—was made to offer animal sacrifices, including goats and chickens, and undergo head-shaving or mundan as an act of penance. According to local reports, the family was warned that if they did not comply with these community-imposed conditions, they would be allegedly ostracised from the village.
Fearing social ostracization, the family submitted to the ritual. The video of the mass tonsuring quickly spread online, sparking outrage among activists, citizens, and civil society groups, who condemned the act as a violation of individual rights and an affront to social justice.
“In marriages within the same community, there is a growing demand for dowry. There is no choice for a girl or a boy to go for inter-caste marriage due to societal norms. There is time to create awareness among rural and urban areas as well,” said Dushmant Mohanty, a senior citizen.
Despite being in the 21st century, such incidents reveal how rigid caste beliefs still dictate social behaviour in many rural pockets of the country. While love marriages across caste lines are legally recognized in India, social acceptance remains a significant hurdle, often leading to emotional, physical, and psychological trauma for those involved.
So far, there has been no official response from local authorities. Rights groups have also called for community awareness programmes to combat caste prejudice and promote inter-caste harmony.
As India progresses on multiple fronts, incidents like this continue to cast a dark shadow on its societal fabric, raising urgent questions about the pace and reach of social reform in the country’s hinterlands.
