Odisha Girl Marries Against Parents’ Wish: They Perform Her ‘Shraadh’

Kendrapada: Enraged with their daughter for marrying a village youth against their wish,  family members of a 20-year-old girl here performed her ‘shraadh’ on Thursday. Dipanjali Mallick, the daughter of Muna Mallick of Demal under Aul police station, tied the knot on August 28 with Rajendra Mallick (23) at a temple.

Muna said that they lodged an FIR against Rajendra in the AUl police station after the couple eloped. The police found their daughter near the village and handed her over to the parents, “But Dipanjali married Rajendra in the village temple following which we snapped all our ties with her and performed her last rites,” said Muna.

Dipanjali married Rajendra Mallick on August 28 in a temple. She said she was an adult and had the right to choose her husband. She stands by her decision of marrying the man of her choice since her parents were trying to marry her off to another person against her wishes.

As for Rajendra’s parents, they have accepted Dipanjali as their daughter-in-law, saying their son has not committed any wrong by marrying her.

Meanwhile, Dipanjali’s parents are not receiving any support for performing their daughter’s ‘shraadh’ while she is alive. According to Amarbara Biswal, human rights activist from Kendrapada, they have no right to perform her last rites when she is alive and the family has actually violated her human rights by performing her last rites,” said Biswal. As for the legalities, Subash Das, a lawyer from Kendrapada told the Times of India that Dipanjali has legal rights over the property of her parents and they cannot disinherit her by performing her last rites.