A shocking case of social ostracism has surfaced from Kanjamajodi village under Shikarpai panchayat in Kalyansinghpur block of Rayagada district, Odisha, where a young tribal couple was reportedly punished and expelled from their community for having a romantic relationship within the same clan.
According to reports, the villagers became aware of the relationship after the couple was spotted together. A community meeting was convened, where elders enforced a traditional tribal punishment: the couple was made to plough farmland while bearing the yoke on their shoulders, symbolic of shame and public rejection.
A viral video circulating online captures the couple performing this humiliating ritual after offering prayers to the village deity. Despite their visible distress, the act was carried out under the villagers’ insistence, justified by local customs that prohibit romantic or marital ties between individuals belonging to the same clan, considered akin to blood relations.
Following the punishment, the duo was banished from the village. Their current whereabouts remain unknown. As of now, there has been no official response from the district administration, raising questions about the role of authorities in such culturally sensitive yet potentially abusive practices.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with calls for administrative intervention and deeper discourse on balancing tribal customs with individual rights.
