The Hindu reports: Rinku Chauhan was four and her sister Jayashree all of two months when they were married to two brothers in their village of Sukarlai in Rohat tehsil of Rajasthan by their grandmother and the elders of the caste. Rinku’s parents, who were not present at the ceremony, refused to accept the wedding. They decided to take on the panch, a body of elderly men within a caste, which takes decisions on a range of matters.This rebellion led to the caste leaders announcing a social boycott (‘hooka-pani band, or the stopping of shared resources’).
It has now been 26 years. The social boycott means that no member of their caste, including distant and close relatives, is allowed to interact with the family. The family has not been invited to weddings or death ceremonies all these years.
Background
No one in the village has any economic association with them.This rebellion led to the caste leaders announcing a social boycott (hooka-pani band, or the stopping of shared resources). It has now been 26 years. The social boycott means that no member of their caste, including distant and close relatives, are allowed to interact with the family.
Key facts
- Rinku’s parents, who were not present at the ceremony, refused to accept the wedding.
- The social boycott means that no member of their caste, including distant and close relatives, is allowed to interact with the family.
- The family has not been invited to weddings or death ceremonies all these years.
- The social boycott means that no member of their caste, including distant and close relatives, are allowed to interact with the family.
- The family has not been invited for weddings or death ceremonies all these years.
What this means
The family has not been invited for weddings or death ceremonies all these years. No one in the village has any economic association with them. Intermittently, the family was asked to pay penalties ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹2 lakh, for which they eventually had to pawn their mother’s jewellery.
They were also forced to organise feasts for meetings of the panch leaders. These meetings were held to decide how much longer the ostracisation would extend. Rinku’s father was routinely called for these meetings and allegedly humiliated by being made to stand apart from the rest of the gathering.Rinku, now 30, grew up to become a lawyer, and about three years ago, she filed a criminal case against the panch.
Originally reported by The Hindu. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
