Bargarh: Setting an example of humanity, Urban Local Body (ULB) and medical officials turned pallbearers for an elderly man in Kharmunda village under Bijepur block on Friday after his family refused to lend a shoulder to his body for marrying outside his caste.
The deceased identified as Sana Meher (65) of Kharmunda village died following a prolonged sickness at Bijepur Community Health Centre (CHC) and his relatives refused to carry his body to the village cremation ground.
Meher’s relatives took the drastic step citing the cause as his inter-caste marriage for which he had already been ostracised from the village.
After the dead boy left unclaimed for hours, Bijepur NAC and CHC officials rose to the occasion and decided to cremate it on their own.
NAC Executive Officer Bishnupriya Mishra, Community Development Officer (CDO) Padmanabh Samantray along with an official Jay Singh Chhattar teamed up with three medical officials including Radheshyam Aggarwal, Debendra Pradhan and Rakesh Sandha and carried the deceased’s body to the village cremation ground this morning. The last rites of the deceased were also performed by the officials there later in the morning.
The act of the officials has been hailed by intellectuals in the district who thoroughly criticised the inhuman act of the villagers also.
Kalinga AI