Nation gears up to celebrate 75th Independence-Day but shadow of casteism continues to loom

OUR CORRESPONDENT

MANGALDAI: Mahatma Gandhi, while launching the freedom struggle against the imperial British Raj, also led a reform movement for eradication of untouchability and casteism from the society. Today while the entire nation is ready to celebrate the 75th Independence Day with colourful programmes, at the same a helpless wife has been compelled to bury her dead husband without observing any Vedic rituals. This is because society members have boycotted their family for the last 27 years as the deceased person had married a girl from a non-Brahmin family!

This shocking and unfortunate incident has been reported at village Ganakchuba of Patalsingpara under Mangaldai Police Station. On August 9, Atul Sarma of the village breathed his last due to some ailment. As none from the village came forward with a helping hand to perform his funeral, the helpless wife was compelled to bury the body in the river bank without observing any traditional Vedic rituals. The reason for non-cooperation of the villagers is that Atul Sarma-a Brahmin (Ganak) by caste, had 27 years back tied the nuptial knot with Pranita Devi, a non-Brahmin girl of a Koch family.

Darrang district administration, on being informed of this tragic and inhuman episode, had ordered for the exhumation of the buried body. On Friday, in presence of Deputy Superintendent of Police (HQ) Pranjal Borah, Circle Officer of Mangaldai Revenue Circle, Nayan Jyoti Pathak and Officer in-charge of Mangaldai Police Station, Inspector Mukut Kakati, the body of Atul Sarma was exhumed and after the post-mortem examination at Mangaldai Civil Hospital, the body was consigned to flames as per the Vedic rituals at the public crematorium at Tengabari here.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested a villager elder, Jadab Sarma for his involvement in this inhuman incident. A social organization has also lodged an FIR at Mangaldai Police Station accusing eight villagers for their involvement in it.

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