BALASORE: A tribal minister of Odisha is in danger of being excommunicated by his community for allowing his daughter to marry a Brahmin.

Minister of State for ST and SC Development (Tribal Welfare), Sports and Youth Services Sudam Marandi belongs to the Santhal tribe. His daughter Sanjivani, a doctor, married a Biju Janata Dal student leader, Sunil Sarangi, a Brahmin, at a plush hotel in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

Marandi celebrated the marriage exuberantly, hosting many dignitaries including governor S C Jamir and chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

But now Santhal tribal elders are preparing to organise a social boycott of the minister. They say inter-caste marriages are against the Santhal tradition.

The Santhals are the third largest tribe of India, native to Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

Marandi is a firebrand tribal leader in Odisha. He is a former Lok Sabha MP who joined the BJD in 2014 and was inducted into the ministry of Naveen Patnaik.

Marandi’s tribesmen say the marriage flies in the face of his own fiery reputation of opposing Santhalis marrying outside of the community. Then in the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), he was known for his anti-diku (association with non-tribals). In those days, Marandi would instigate community chiefs to ostracise tribesmen marrying outside the caste.

Now, he is being hauled over the coals for allowing his own daughter to do so.

As news of Sanjivini's marriage spread in Marandi's native place of Bangriposi, Santhal community leaders, known as Majhi Baba (Majhi Halam), took exception to the betrothal and launched scathing attacks on the minister.

A conclave of community leaders has been called at Bangriposi on February 5 to decide on action against the minister. Tribal leaders from different parts of Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar are expected to attend the meeting.

Angry Santhals burnt Marandi in effigy at several places in Mayurbhanj and pasted posters denouncing him in the Santhali language.

Baripada sub-division chief Nimai Murmu said Marandi has broken the tradition of the community

“When Marandi was in the JMM, he used to demonize dikus (non-tribals). When a former minister Chaitanya Prasad Majhi married off his daughter Sarojini to a non-tribal man, he called for a boycottt. Now he has done so himself, only to further his political career,” said Murmu.

Many tribal leaders recalled that Marandi used to give fiery speeches against the ‘diku’. "In fact, he created social and radical discriminations among the tribal and non-tribal communities in Mayurbhanj district,” said Madhav Hansdah, convener of the Odisha Adivasi Harijan Sangha.

“Tribal customs are sacred and there is punishment for violation of them. Marandi will be asked to make rectification as per our tradition,” he said.

Marandi, however, stood unfazed. “I don’t discriminate among communities. I love tribal culture and every human being,” he said.

As per the Santhal tradition, a neem twig, a broken earthen pot, used broomsticks and burnt wood is buried in front of the house of a violator this tradition. His family is ostracized if he is found guilty by the community leaders.