Baripada: A tribal couple and their three children have allegedly been ostracised by the villagers for not serving ‘handia’ (traditional rice beer) in the last rites feast held after the death of a 67-year-old man of the family in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, police said Monday.
It is a practice in various tribal societies to serve ‘handia’ to people attending the feast organised as part of the last rites.
It is alleged that the villagers are not allowing the family members to take water from village ponds or tubewells or purchase groceries from shops.
Following a complaint lodged by the deceased man’s son, a police team went to their village and asked the villagers to sort out the matter within two days or face legal action.
Ram Soren of Kesapada village under Sarat Police Station limit died on March 27 and the members of the Santhal community observed the rituals according to tradition.
Soren’s son Sangram organised a community feast a month later as per tradition on April 27.
However, he did not serve ‘handia’ in the feast to the villagers following which he, his wife Lachha and their children have allegedly been socially boycotted.
In a complaint lodged at Sarat Police Station, Sangram and his wife charged the villagers with denying them access to resources like water from ponds or tubewells, and even to village grocery shops.
PTI
