Bargarh: Unable to arrange for four men willing to be pallbearers for their mother’s final journey, two sisters carried the body of their mother all the way to the cremation ground where they lit the pyre themselves with not a single villager in attendance.
The incident occurred in Baipali village of Shreegida panchayat under Sohela block Monday. The deceased woman was identified as Dei Pradhan (62) while her daughters were identified as Chandrakanti (35) and Renchi (30).
The conspicuous absence at the deceased woman’s funeral of not just neighbours and villagers but also her relatives was ostensibly due to the fact that her husband had died of leprosy 25 years back, the siblings said.
Dei was said to be bed-ridden for long due to a host of ailments. She was being tended to by Renchi, who remained unmarried in order to take care of her mother. Dei’s elder daughter Chandrakanti was married and was living with her family in another village.
Dei succumbed to a prolonged illness Monday morning. Following her death, Chandrakanti and Renchi waited till afternoon hoping their neighbours would help make arrangements for the woman’s funeral. However, not a single person turned up, leaving the sisters distraught.
Later, Chandrakanti and Renchi informed their maternal aunt who lives in a nearby village. However, she came only to pay her last respects and left soon after. Dei’s brother did not even bother coming, the sisters said.
Left with no option, Chandrakanti, her husband and Renchi put Dei’s body on a cot and carried it to a nearby cremation ground to perform the last rites. Chandrakanti lit the funeral pyre, in a marked departure from prevailing social customs.
The sisters later said they were heartbroken over the fact that nobody came to pay their last respects to their departed mother.
Sarpanch Swarnakanti Barik said the family would be given Rs 2,000 under Harishchandra Yojana. When asked why none of the villagers including Barik attended the woman’s funeral, the sarpanch said, “I wanted to attend but was unable to because of some preoccupations.” PNN
