Kendrapara: Two days after a caste row over the engagement of a Dalit woman as an Anganwadi helper was raised in Parliament, the Kendrapara district administration Saturday said the matter had been resolved through negotiations, ending an 85-day stalemate that had disrupted child and maternal welfare services in Nuagaon village.
The dispute began in November after Sharmistha Sethy was appointed as helper at the Anganwadi centre under Ghadiamala panchayat within Rajnagar police limits. Following her appointment November 20, several upper-caste families stopped sending their children to the centre from the next day and refused to accept supplementary nutrition provided to pregnant women, lactating mothers and children, demanding her removal.
Kendrapara Sub-Collector Arun Nayak said the matter was amicably settled after discussions with villagers in the presence of stakeholders, including members of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (OSCPCR) and the Odisha State Commission for Women (OSCW). “The matter has been amicably resolved as villagers have agreed to send their children to the Anganwadi centre from Monday,” Nayak said.
He added that officials sensitised residents on the abolition of age-old caste practices. Sethy, who was appointed after a prolonged vacancy and fresh notification issued by the Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) as there were no other applicants, welcomed the development. “I am happy that the matter is resolved. I am desperate to see children back in the Anganwadi centre and women receiving their nutritious food items provided by the government,” she said.
“I will try my best to serve the children and women.” The issue drew nationwide attention after Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised it during Zero Hour February 12. “In the 21st century, when we talk about social development, social reform, and the unity of Hindus, people of a particular community are refusing to let their children eat food cooked by a Dalit woman who is a helper-cum-cook in an Anganwadi centre in Odisha.
That Anganwadi centre has been boycotted for the last three months,” Kharge said. An official said the centre had remained shut for all practical purposes during the impasse. Initial efforts by a high-level administrative team failed to resolve the dispute. Subsequently, the sub-collector, local tehsildar, district social welfare officer, CDPO of Rajnagar, representatives of the OSCPCR and the OSCW, local police, the Rajnagar block chairperson and the sarpanch of Ghadiamala gram panchayat held extensive discussions with residents.
Officials conducted door-todoor visits and even organised a “Pala,” a traditional Odia art form, to spread awareness against caste discrimination and educate villagers about constitutional provisions, particularly the Right to Education under Article 21(A). Sujata Nayak, member of the OSCPCR, said, “The Anganwadi centre will function normally from Monday as the parents consented to send their children.” OSCW member Kalpana Mallik said she held elaborate discussions with villagers before they agreed to stop opposing “an educated woman on the basis of her caste.”
She added, “We are hopeful that such incidents will not be repeated in the village in future.” Residents of the coastal village also raised concerns about road connectivity, embankment strengthening, old-age pensions and construction of permanent Anganwadi and school buildings. The sub-collector assured them that the grievances would be examined on priority. “The protesting residents finally agreed after realising that depriving children of preschool education could harm their future,” an official said.
Nuagaon, with a population of about 450, has since returned to normalcy. “The camaraderie, bonding and fellow feeling among the people is very much intact. The recent incident was a stray case,” sarpanch Sailendra Mishra said.
Villager Gobardhan Pradhan added, “We have forgotten the dispute of the past. We will no more oppose the Dalit Anganwadi helper’s engagement at the centre.”