Bhubaneswar, Feb. 12: Leaders of the tribal community have decided to boycott the minister of state for tribal welfare, Sudam Marandi, whose daughter married a Brahmin boy in the state capital on January 31.

The decision to punish Marandi, who quit Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to contest 2014 Assembly elections on a BJD ticket from Bangirposhi in Mayurbhanj district, was taken at a meeting of community leaders at Bangriposhi Station Bazaar on Wednesday.

Ajen Murmu, a former JMM MLA and a prominent Santhal leader, said the meeting was attended by leaders of their community from Odisha, Bengal and Jharkhand. "They declared that the minister will not get any co-operation from the community which will break all ties with him and his family," said Murmu.

Marandi's daughter Sanjeevani, an MBBS graduate, tied the knot with BJD students' wing general secretary Sunil Sarangi at a prominent hotel here on January 31 in the presence of several dignitaries. The couple were blessed, among others, by governor S.C. Jamir and chief minister Naveen Patnaik. However, the wedding had raised the hackles of tribal community leaders.

Baidhar Marandi, the head of Sasada Ghat, a tribal creamtion ground in Bangriposhi, the constituency Marandi represents in the Assembly, was categorical about the boycott. "He is no more a part of our community. He cannot perform the last rites of anyone from his family at Sasada ghat in Bangriposhi," said Baidhar, who attended Wednesday's meeting.

Santan Murmu, the head of Bhanj Disam Pargana Mahal, a tribal organisation, said Marandi had been punished for breaking tribal traditions.

"He did not even come to the meeting despite being summoned. He should not expect any co-operation from us anymore," said Murmu.

Earlier, tribal activists had held demonstrations against Marandi and burnt his effigies in different parts of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts accusing him of deliberately violating tribal customs and traditions.

Purna Hansda, a prominent tribal leader, had said that minister could offer no excuses as the marriage had been arranged by him.

Some tribal leaders were critical of him as in his own heyday as a JMM leader, Marandi had built up his career by fomenting anti-Diku (non-tribal) sentiments in Mayurbhanj district and had even opposed the marriage of tribal veteran Chaitanya Majhi's daughter Lipi with Kamal Kant Das, an advocate on October 2, 1994.

However, protests and the boycott decision notwithstanding, Marandi has stuck to his guns. The minister told a local TV channel that tribal people of his area still loved him and all the talk about his boycott was the handiwork of his political opponents in the JMM.