India, June 25 -- The Government of India issued the following news release:
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that the family of a woman from a Scheduled Tribe community was subjected to a social boycott by the villagers after her marriage to a man belonging to a Scheduled Caste in Rayagada district of Odisha. Reportedly, the villagers demanded a purification ritual if the family of the woman wanted to be accepted back into the community. They were threatened with an indefinite boycott in case they refused to comply with the ritual.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of the human rights of the victim...