Date: 2025-06-25Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
NHRC, India takes suo motu cognisance of the reported social boycott of a Scheduled Tribe woman’s family by the villagers after her marriage with a man from the Scheduled Caste in Rayagada district, Odisha
**Summary:**
On June 25, 2025, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, took *suo motu* cognizance of a media report concerning the social boycott of a Scheduled Tribe woman's family in the Rayagada district of Odisha following her marriage to a man from a Scheduled Caste. The report alleges that villagers imposed a purification ritual, including the tonsuring of the heads of male family members, as a condition for reintegration into the community, threatening indefinite boycott if the ritual was refused. The NHRC has deemed these actions, if verified, to be a serious violation of the victims' human rights. Consequently, the Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of the Government of Odisha, requesting a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. The media report, dated June 21, 2025, indicates that 40 members of the woman's family complied with the imposed ritual. Release ID: 2139485.
Key Entities Referenced
National Human Rights Commission: A national human rights organization in India that took suo motu cognizance of the reported incident.
Scheduled Tribe: A community recognized by the Indian Constitution as historically disadvantaged, referring to the woman's community.
Scheduled Caste: A community recognized by the Indian Constitution as historically disadvantaged, referring to the man's community.
Rayagada district, Odisha: The district in the state of Odisha where the social boycott incident reportedly occurred.
Odisha: The State in India where the incident took place.
Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha: The administrative head of the state government to whom the NHRC issued a notice.
human rights: The rights that the National Human Rights Commission is concerned with protecting and ensuring.
National Human Rights Commission
NHRC, India takes suo motu cognisance of the
reported social boycott of a Scheduled Tribe
woman’s family by the villagers after her marriage
with a man from the Scheduled Caste in Rayagada
district, Odisha
Reportedly, the villagers imposed a purification ritual
including tonsuring the heads of the men in her
family before accepting them back into the
community
Issues notice to the State Chief Secretary calling for
a detailed report on the matter within two weeks
Posted On: 25 JUN 2025 2:59PM by PIB Delhi
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report
that the family of a woman from a Scheduled Tribe community was subjected to a social boycott by the
villagers after her marriage to a man belonging to a Scheduled Caste in Rayagada district of Odisha.
Reportedly, the villagers demanded a purification ritual if the family of the woman wanted to be accepted
back into the community. They were threatened with an indefinite boycott in case they refused to comply with
the ritual.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of
the human rights of the victims. Therefore, it has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of
Odisha, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
According to the media report, carried on 21st June, 2025, the members of the family of the woman reportedly
succumbed to the diktat of the villagers, and as a part of the ritual, the heads of 40 members of her family
were tonsured.
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NSK
(Release ID: 2139485)