Social boycott forced a man’s body to remain unattended for 10 hours in Tulsidunguri village under Kendumundi panchayat in Balangir district.
Villagers refused to cremate Arjun Banagula because he had married a woman from another caste.
Arjun Banagula died last night. His family and fellow villagers stayed away from his body due to the long-standing social boycott. The community had imposed the boycott on Arjun and his family ever since he married outside his caste years ago. His wife Rambha Banagula and son also faced the same boycott.No one from the village came forward to touch the body or perform the last rites. The body lay in the house for nearly 10 hours.
Social activists Giriraj Bhoi, Jansen Nag, journalist Praveen Purohit, senior advocate Rana Pradhan, and Dilip Kumura reached the village after receiving information. They carried Arjun’s body on their shoulders and walked nearly two kilometres to a reserved forest area. There they performed the last rites with dignity.
The activists condemned the practice of social boycott. They said such caste-based discrimination continues to exist in modern society and violates human dignity even after death.
