Surkhet, July 9:

Family members and relatives of 46-year-old Jhupe Sunar of Taranga VDC-5 have been forced to move out of the village after Sunar’s son married a non-Dalit girl.

Sunar’s son, Khadak Bahadur, had married a non-Dalit teenager — Jaisara Baduwal — of the village on June 30.

They moved to the district headquarters Birendranagar for security reasons after the Baduaal family threatened them with dire consequencies.

“We had no option but to move to Birendranagar after my son married a non-Dalit teenager,” he said. “We are taking shelter in the open. We need security,” Jhupe said.

“We moved to a cowshed in the upper part of the village on July 1, a day after the marriage,” Jhupe said, adding that they fled to the district headquarters after feeling insecure in the village.

He said his 18-year-old daughter Setukala BK was held captive by the Baduwals after the incident and another 15-year-old daughter Krishna Kala BK’s whereabouts were still unknown.

Jhupe urged all concerned to take initiatives to create an environment conducive for his return to the village.

The entire village is reportedly divided into two factions — Dalits and non-Dalits — after the inter-caste marriage. Surkhet Chief District Officer Baldev Bhatta said he had heard about the incident and had directed authorities to maintain law and order in the village.

Meanwhile, 15 pro-Dalit NGOs in Surkhet, Dailekh, Achham and Jajarkot have submitted a memorandum to Surkhet District Administration Office, demanding security for the displaced family members and their relatives, and punishment to the guilty.