BENGALURU: At a time when the country celebrated 75 years of independence with much fervour, incidents of social ostracism and boycott still prevail common in the rural belt. An incident reported at a village in Chamarajanagar district is a testimony to it.
According to a complaint filed, Govindashetty, a resident of Kunagalli village near Kollegal belonging to the Uppara community entered into wedlock with his girlfriend Shwetha, a scheduled caste woman from Hoovinakoppalu village in Mandya district in 2018.
The village leaders upon getting to know about the intercaste marriage back then had imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh on the family and had even boycotted them from entering the village.
The couple did not return to their native and stayed in Malavalli and earned their livelihood. However, as the mother of Govindashetty fell ill, the couple had come to Kungalli which irked the village leaders who imposed them Rs 3 lakh fine and instructed them to pay it before March 3.
However, this time, the couple lodged a complaint at DYSP office and this made the village leaders enraged who increased the fine amount to Rs 6 lakh and instructed all the villagers to not talk to them nor give them any essentials at the shops in the village.
Following this complaint, Mamballi police lodged a complaint and booked a case against 15 persons. When police questioned the accused, they denied it and said that no such fine was imposed on them and said that the family members of Govindashettty had only ostracized the couple and not the village, they said. However, police have taken up the case and are probing the matter.
Speaking to TNIE, Govindashetty said that the Upopara community members have not lifted the social boycott and they are getting groceries from shops owned by members of other communities. While his parents and himself had to go to Kollegal town looking for coolie as the Uppara community decided not to employ them for not following the dictates of the village heads. What mistake have I done by marrying a girl from outside my caste, he asked.
He said that the cops must arrest the accused and bring them to books at the earliest or this would send a wrong message to society.