Keonjhar: Even as the society has gone through a huge transformation with the help of science, people are still in the grasp of blind belief for which the curse of untouchability still exists in this era.
An incident has been reported from Baradapal village in the district where a deceased person identified as Dussashan Behera who was suffering from cancer was denied shoulders by the fellow villagers following which the helpless sons carried their father’s body on a cot to the cremation ground.
According to reports, Dussashan’s family was poverty-stricken and was unable to bear the cost of his treatment, therefore he was taken to government-run health centre where they were deprived of medicines as no doctor was on duty.
Deprived of treatment, ailing Dussashan’s health condition deteriorated and his body got infected. Getting to know about the illness, villagers refused to lend their shoulders for the lifeless body.
“Some youths of our village only helped us to arrange wood to perform father’s last rites”, said Dussashan’s weeping son.
Speaking to Orissa Post, local social activist Sanjay Sahoo said the malaise of superstition existing in the society is clearly visible by such instances of untouchability. There is an utmost need to make people aware and free the society from these ill-practices.
