A village in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district has announced a social and economic boycott of families if a member elopes to marry and the same treatment will be given to the families who support them.
In a video that has now gone viral on the internet, a man is heard reading out what he claims are the decisions of the village panchayat in the wake of a woman eloping to marry and her family later accepting the couple. The video is from Panchewa village of Ratlam’s Piploda tehsil.
The matter has come to light at a time when the nation is celebrating its 77th Republic Day, the implementation of the Constitution of India, which gives the right to life and personal liberty to all people as a fundamental right under its Article 21.
“All villagers have decided that if any boy or girl in village Panchewa marries by eloping or does a love marriage, the following restrictions will be imposed on them and their family. The family will be socially boycotted, and they will not be invited to any social event, and nobody will call them for labour work. If someone calls that family, they will also face social restrictions,” the man says at a large gathering of locals.
The man lists out further restrictions on the families, including the supply of milk or any other products, leasing their fields for farming, and any priests, barbers or any other service provider giving services to those families.
“Any witness or any resident of the village who helps in the marriage, or provides shelter to the couple who has a love marriage, will also be socially boycotted,” the man says, while naming three individuals who have been “boycotted” as per the panchayat declaration.
As per local reports, the decision was taken three days ago due to a rise in marriages by eloping in the village.
As per some reports, the locals, including the man making the declarations in the viral video and identifying himself as Arun, denied that any social boycott was done while defending the decision and saying that it was taken to discourage youth from eloping and families from sheltering them.
Ratlam Collector Misha Singh told The Hindu that the matter has been taken into consideration and an investigation is on, while denying that the decision was taken by the Gram Sabha.
“It’s a recent video where some local persons, led by one Manohar, took such decisions and made announcements. We have taken it into cognisance, and the local SDM (sub-divisional magistrate) and SDOP (sub-divisional police officer) visited the village to talk to locals. They found out that no formal resolution has been passed by the Gram Sabha, but since it’s a matter of great discord, legal action will be taken against those involved in this,” Ms. Singh said, adding that no complaint has yet been received by any family from the village.
Published – January 27, 2026 12:34 am IST
