Rayagada: In a deeply disturbing incident highlighting the persistent grip of caste-based discrimination, 40 members of a woman’s family were forced to shave their heads and perform a so-called “purification ritual” after she married a man from a different caste in Baiganaguda village of Kashipur block in Odisha’s Rayagada district.
The woman, who belongs to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, recently tied the knot with a man from a Scheduled Caste (SC) in a neighbouring village. This inter-caste union triggered strong opposition from the local villagers, leading to the ostracisation of the woman’s entire family.
According to reports, the villagers demanded that the family must undergo a ritualistic purification process if they wished to be reintegrated into the community. The threat was clear: refusal would result in an indefinite social boycott. Bowing to intense pressure, the family agreed to perform a sacrificial ritual before the village deity, followed by a mass tonsuring ceremony involving 40 family members.
A video of the family members—men, women, and possibly minors—sitting in a field with their heads shaved has gone viral on social media, drawing outrage from rights activists and civil society groups.
Kashipur Block Development Officer (BDO) Vijay Soy has taken cognisance of the incident and ordered a thorough investigation. A block-level official has already been dispatched to Baiganaguda to gather detailed accounts from the victims and villagers. “We have launched a probe, and appropriate action will be taken against those responsible,” said the BDO.
This is not the first such incident in Odisha this year. Earlier, in Bargarh district, another family faced severe social backlash and was denied permission to perform the last rites of a deceased member after an inter-caste marriage.
Despite the Odisha government running a special scheme that offers Rs 2.5 lakh in financial assistance to inter-caste couples to help them settle down, the ground reality reveals a stark contrast. The practice of untouchability and caste-based discrimination continues to thrive in several rural pockets, making it clear that constitutional safeguards and welfare schemes often fail to protect marginalized communities at the grassroots level.
The administration has assured that action will be taken based on the probe findings. Meanwhile, voices across Odisha and beyond are demanding justice—not just for the affected family, but for all who continue to suffer under the weight of casteism in modern India.
