35 families voted, but got ostracised

BALASORE: A few days after three families were punished for not voting for a particular candidate, 35 families in Balasore district are reportedly ostracised for exercising their democratic rights. The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families in Odiapada village under Basta block have been ostracised, allegedly by BJD supporters, for not voting in favour of the ruling party candidate.Leading a miserable life for more than a week after being ostracised, they have written to Governor M C Bhandare and District Collector Akhil Bihari Ota seeking their intervention.The victims alleged that some BJD supporters of the village have barred them from fetching water from community tube-well and visiting the village market. The families are living under constant threat.It all started after a Congress-supported ward member candidate won the panchayat election. A villager, Sanyasi Sethi, said the BJD supporters held the Odiapada voters responsible for the defeat of their candidate and threatened them with dire consequences. “They later demolished a portion of Dhitipura-Laxmannath road __ the only link to the town,” he said.  The womenfolk also alleged that they are forced to take water from the pond and not from the community tube-well.The victims claimed that though they have informed the police and the administration about the irrational behaviour of the villagers, the authorities have turned a blind eye to their complaints.“The village will remain completely cut off if the road is not restored before monsoon. Students and patients are the worst affected in the absence of an alternative,” said Radhashyam Das, another villager.Meanwhile, the victims have written to the local MP, MLA, District Collector and Governor seeking justice.The Collector said the road was constructed on a private land. The Basta BDO has been asked to inquire into the matter and submit a report, he said. He, however, denied any knowledge about the Dalit families being ostracised.