Bhubaneswar: In a shocking display of a grim picture of mob justice and public humiliation, a young couple in Koraput district was subjected to a humiliating punishment for marrying within the same clan.
The incident, which took place in Peda Itigi village under Borigi panchayat of Narayanpatna block, has sparked widespread outrage.
According to reports, the couple was yoked together like bullocks and made to plough the ground at the village square as part of a so-called purification ritual.
Going by reports, a young man from Chidi Balasa village under Alomanda gram panchayat fell in love with a girl from Pedalada village and got married to her. However, as they were related and belonged to a clan, the villagers, following their tribal tradition, conducted a ritual and made the couple hold a plough and walk around the village as a form of punishment.
The villagers, however, saw their union as a breach of tradition and claimed the act was intended to seek forgiveness from ‘Mother Earth’ for violating community norms.
Meanwhile, a video of the incident, reportedly recorded by a bystander, has gone viral, where the couple can be seen struggling to move under the wooden yoke while a crowd watches.
This incident has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from social activists and intellectuals, who have termed it a gross violation of human rights.
It is pertinent to mention that this is not an isolated incident, as a similar punishment took place in Rayagada district’s Kalyansinghpur block last month, in which a young couple was subjected to inhumane punishment by villagers for getting married against the societal norm.
