Boudh/Baghiapada: A man expelled from his community had to carry the body of his sister-in-law on a bicycle for cremation after his kin and community members did not turn out to help him due to social ostracism at Krushnapali village under Brahmanpali panchayat in Boudh district Wednesday.
The deceased woman was identified as Pancha Mahakur, a native of Sukapali village and sister-in-law of Chaturbhuja Banka of Krushnapali village. Chaturbhuja, after the death of all his in-laws, had provided shelter to his sister-in-law in his house.
The incident has sparked shockwaves in the district and drawn flak from various quarters over such inhuman treatment to a villager on the pretext of social ostracism. Sources said Chaturbhuja’s wife Beda and sister-in-law Pancha were admitted to the district headquarters hospital in Boudh for treatment after they were afflicted with diarrhoea Tuesday. However, Pancha failed to recover and succumbed during treatment the same evening.
Chaturbhuja after completing necessary formalities in the hospital brought the body back to his village in a hearse. He knocked on the doors of the village ward member and other co-villagers pleading with them to help him cremate the body.
However, he was left frustrated after none responded to his plea. Left with no option, he tied the body to a bicycle and carried it to the cremation ground where he buried the body with the help of his daughter. According to Chaturbhuja, he provided shelter to his sister-in-law out of humanitarian concern as there was no one left in his in-law’s family. However, that infuriated his kin, neighbours and co-villagers who ostracised him and expelled him from the community.
As a result, no one turned up to help him cremate the body. He alleged that he even failed to get financial assistance under the state-sponsored Harishchandra Yojana as no one came forward to help him.
