In a stark reminder of how fragile constitutional freedoms can be at the grassroots level, a village in Madhya Pradesh Ratlam district has openly declared a social boycott against families whose children marry by choice.
This incident from Panchewa village has caused outrage after a video surfaced showing locals announcing punishments that effectively amount to economic hardship and social exile.
Madhya Pradesh villagers boycott Love Marriage Families
The viral video captures a large gathering of villagers, where a young man reads a so-called “village decree,” declared publicly rather than whispered in secrecy. According to the announcement, any boy or girl who elopes and marries by choice will face punishment, and their entire family ostracized.
The decree enforces a full social boycott. These families not invited to social events, denied basic necessities like milk. They prohibited from hiring or hired as laborers, and cut off from all economic and social interactions in the village.
Exclude the Love Marriage Families
The threats escalate further. No villager will rent land from these families. No one will work in their homes. Anyone who hires a member of a boycotted family will face the same penalties. Even villagers who help, witness, or provide shelter to couples marrying by choice socially excluded.
In a particularly alarming act, the video names the heads of three families, effectively putting them at risk. The warning is clear: support a boycotted family, and your family boycotted too.
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