Chhatrapur: The drastic rise in cases of social ostracism in rural areas of Ganjam district has become a matter of grave concern with instances of social boycott of villagers coming to for one after another, a report read. This age-old tradition of socially boycotting a family for various reasons still exists in many villages in the district. The ostracised members are living in perpetual fear of further action by the villagers and are afraid of seeking administrative intervention.
The scourge of social ostracisation is so high that a few days ago one Badal Sahu of Borigaon village under Ganjam block immolated himself outside the SP office in Chhatrapur after failing to get justice from local police. Such incidents are being noticed more and more in areas under Chhatrapur Assembly segment during last one and half months. A man of Agraharam village under Sriramachandrapur panchayat and Chamakhandi police limits being socially ostracised by the village committee for last 11 years is only one among many such cases.
The matter came to fore after Patra accompanied by his family members visited Chhatrapur and submitted a memorandum to the Ganjam SP in this regard Thursday. Patra requested the SP to lift the ostracisation order on his family members and demanded stringent action against the culprits. He alleged that the villagers socially boycotted his family members 11 years ago and banned him from participating in any social function or programmes in the village.
Although the Chamakhandi police had intervened and lifted the ostracisation order May 21, the village committee members with the help of public address system again boycotted his family June 10, he alleged. They informed him that they will only allow him free movement in the village and lift the social boycott order on him and his family members if he pays `1 lakh as penalty to the village committee, Patra added.