Rinku Chauhan, whose family was socially excluded 26 years ago, is now fighting for justice in a court in Pali, Rajasthan. | Photo credit: Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
Rinku Chauhan was four and her sister Jayashree was two months old when their grandmother and caste elders married the two brothers in their village of Sukarlai in Rohat tehsil, Rajasthan. Rinku’s parents, who were not present at the ceremony, refused to accept the marriage. They decided to take on the panch, a group of senior men in the caste that decides on a number of matters.
This rebellion led to the caste leaders declaring a social boycott (“hooka-pani band, or stoppage of shared resources”). It is now 26 years old. Social boycott means that no member of their caste, including distant and close relatives, is allowed to associate with the family. For all these years, the family was not invited to weddings or death ceremonies. No one in the village has any economic relationship with them.
Published – May 8, 2026 08:13 IST
