Balangir: A 73-year-old retired professor and his 68-year-old wife are allegedly facing social boycott for the past six months after their son married outside their community, the couple said here on Monday.
Manmohan Sai, a resident of Puintala village in Balangir district, claimed the regional Agharia Samaj has boycotted his family since his son Soumya Ranjan, an IT professional based in Bengaluru, married a Marathi woman.
"I was told that unless I disown my son or he divorces his wife, we will not be accepted back into the community," Sai told reporters. The retired professor said he noticed his social exclusion over a period of time as community people did not invite him for functions. It took time for him to fully understand the reasons. He said he approached Subhranshu Shekhar Patel, president of the samaj, on Nov 2 seeking the reasons.
According to Sai, Patel cited the community's caste "constitution", which prohibits inter-caste marriages, and advised him to avoid social functions until a formal decision is made. Sai alleged that Patel convened a "kangaroo court" in Puintala that formalised their boycott and threatened of similar consequences for anyone maintaining social relations with his family.
The situation has deeply affected Sai's wife, Swarupa, a homemaker. "We planned to spend our retired life peacefully with our relatives and the community," she said. "The isolation is extremely painful as no relatives are inviting us to any social functions," she added.
However, Patel denied the allegations, calling them baseless. "The Agharia community is known for its unity and principles. We focus on social welfare and helping needy members. We don't interfere in anyone's personal life," he said.
Sai has threatened legal action and plans to approach the police and state human rights commission if the boycott isn't revoked.
Agharia community, classified as OBC, consists primarily of farmers across several Odisha districts, including Balangir, Sundargarh, Kalahandi, Sambalpur and Jharsuguda. The community comprises 84 sub-castes.