Sudam Marndi (Source: odishaassembly.nic.in) Sudam Marndi (Source: odishaassembly.nic.in)

Odisha Minister for Tribal Welfare Sudam Marndi and his family have been excommunicated by Santhali tribesmen as “punishment” for his daughter marrying a Diku, a person from outside the tribe.

Marndi’s daughter Sanjivani, a doctor, married a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader, a Brahmin by caste, on January 30. The wedding, held at a hotel in Bhubaneswar, was attended by Governor S C Jamir and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, among others.

Marndi is a former Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MP from Mayurbhanj who joined the BJD in 2014.

But the marriage has not gone down well with elders in the Santhali community, which Marndi is a part of. On Thursday, Marndi went to his native village, Dahisahi, where rituals were performed in the presence of the village head, a tribal priest and the newly-wed couple.

The Santhalis, who had earlier this week protested against the marriage, on Saturday decided to excommunicate the minister’s family, as well as three villagers — Dahisahi, Balikhani and Kandalia — who helped them perform the puja.

Santhal leader Nimai Murmu said Marndi has broken all norms by his actions. “When Marndi was in the JMM, he used to speak out against Dikus. When former minister, the late Chaitanya Prasad Majhi, married off his daughter Sarojini to a non-tribal man, he called for a boycott. How can he justify the marriage of his daughter to a Diku?” Murmu said.

Marndi, however, maintained he has done nothing wrong and that he “still loves tribal culture”.

At a meeting at Bangiriposi block on Saturday, various Santhal community representatives from Mayurbhanj and neighbouring Jharkhand criticised the inter-caste marriage. They announced that the minister’s family as well as the three villagers will not be allowed to perform anyone’s last rites at Damodar Ghat.

Santhals, who are native to Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha, are the third largest tribe in the country. The community is set to organise a rally at Bangiriposi station field on February 10.

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