The incident in Koraput comes on the heels of a similar case in neighbouring Rayagada district.
- A tribal couple in Odisha's Koraput was forced to haul a plough as punishment for eloping
- The couple was targeted for marrying within their own clan, violating local tribal norms
- Villagers made the couple wear shoe garlands and paraded them in the village square
A tribal couple in Odisha's Koraput district was publicly humiliated and forced to haul a plough like bullocks in a village square on Sunday, in a so-called "purification ritual" ordered by an informal kangaroo court. The incident, caught on camera, has gone viral on social media.
The man and woman, who had eloped and begun living together, were targeted for violating local norms. According to village elders, they married within their own clan -- or gotra -- which is a tabbo in certain tribal communities in Odisha.
A group of villagers allegedly coerced the couple into undergoing a public ritual aimed at "cleansing" their supposed "crime". They were made to wear garlands made of shoes, and were paraded around the village square. The culmination of the ritual involved the pair being tied to a yoke, normally used to harness oxen, and made to pull a plough while being watched and, at times, physically assaulted.
The incident in Koraput comes on the heels of a similar case in neighbouring Rayagada district. In that instance, a young couple from Kanjamajhira village faced similar punishment after marrying within their clan -- specifically, the man was the son of the woman's paternal aunt.
A video of the Rayagada incident showed both individuals tied to a plough and forced to drag it across a field while being beaten with sticks by at least two men. They were subsequently taken to a village shrine and subjected to further rituals described locally as "purification "practices.
(With inputs from Dev Kumar Ghosh)
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