40 Dalit families face social boycott in Odisha's Dhenkanal after girl plucks flowers from upper-caste man's farm

Around 40 families, belonging to the Dalit community, in Kantio Kateni village of Dhenkanal district were allegedly socially boycotted after a girl from their community plucked flowers from the farm of an upper-caste man. According to the villagers, the girl belonging to the Dalit community had plucked the flowers two months ago. The girl's parents also apologized and begged the village panchayat to pardon them but there no response from upper caste people.

As punishment, the families are barred from taking part in rituals and are not allowed to talk to anybody in the village. Government ration shops have been told not to give provisions and the teachers from the community are being forced to obtain a transfer, they allege. However, the matter is resolved now. "Due to plucking of a sunflower, we Dalits were boycotted and a case was registered at Police station. Police had called the two groups to resolve the matter. But they did not obey, so after some days, we complained again. Now the matter has been resolved in front of officials," Bijay Kumar Naik, villager and member of Dalit community told ANI.

Harmon Mohalik, villager and member of the upper caste community said, "It was a little issue between Dalit community and our community. The matter has been Already solved in front of police and other officials." Pranabandhu Das, village Sarpanch said that the villagers are living as they used to live earlier.

"It had happened two months back but people turned it into a matter related to communities. Today it was resolved at Police Station in front of officers. Now we are living as we did earlier, as per the discussion between both groups," Das said.