DHENKANAL: The two girls in a same-sex relationship at a village under Motanga police limits of Dhenkanal district have committed to spend their lives together even as they are now staying with their respective relatives after police intervention in the matter. The girls, one of whom is still a minor, had eloped and got married in a temple at Talcher last week causing outrage among the villagers and ostracisation of their own families.
The elder partner (20) has even sought a job to eke livelihood for the couple. She has approached the Women’s Support Centre at Dhenkanal for employment opportunities. Appearing before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), she stated that she was willing to stay separately from her younger partner till she attained the age of 18 in a few months.
The girls caused a huge furore in the region after they fled home and tied the knot at a temple in Talcher. They spent a week as a couple before being traced by police and restored to their families. One of them being minor, they were initially put up at the Open Shelter and Swadhar home and presented before the district CWC.
As more information begins to surface, the girls were apparently open about their relationship but were not taken seriously by their respective families. Their parents viewed it as a close friendship only. However, one of the girl’s confession of their relationship and intention to stay together triggered panic and her marriage was fixed in a hurry. The girls then eloped with some money stolen from their respective homes.
Meanwhile, their families bore the brunt of the community’s wrath against the girls. The villagers have vowed not to let the girls in the village. Motanga police has, however, intervened and tried to bring the irate villagers around.