Man pressurised to accept wife as sister

INDIA: A young couple in Haryana, facing the wrath of their community for marrying in the same lineage, saw no end to their trauma as their 11-day-old baby, snatched away by community leaders, was sent out of their village.

With the state government virtually refusing to intervene, the couple from Katlaheri village near this town continued to face harassment.

Pawan and his wife Kavita, both from the Valmiki community, were ordered by the panchayat to be separated last week and their baby son was snatched from them and given away to another couple for the "offence" of marrying in the same gotra or lineage.

"Being from the same gotra, they are brother and sister. They cannot be husband and wife. We will not allow this," a panchayat spokesman said.

Haryana, Monday, IANS