Rengali: The sight of BJD’s Rengali MLA Ramesh Patua carrying the bier of an abandoned beggar woman on Friday instilled faith in humanity which almost wavered when a ostracised man was forced to carrying the mortal remains of his sister-in-law tied to a bicycle in Boudh a couple of days back.
According to sources, the elderly woman, who lived by begging at Amanapali of Sodhamal in Rengali, died on Thursday. However, none from locality came forward to carry the body to crematorium and it was left unattended for around 24 hours.
Getting information from Laida police outpost in-charge, Patua cancelled all his pre-scheduled programmes and reached the spot with his two sons. He carried the body and cremated it too.
On August 1, a 60-year-old man of Krushnapali village in Boudh district had to carry the body of his sister-in-law on a bicycle after no one cam forward to lend a helping hand since he was declared a social outcast.
According to sources, the villagers had ostracised Chaturbhuja Banka when he got married the second time to a woman of a different caste after his first wife could not bear him children. They kept away from him and his family. When the sister of his second wife died, none turned up to carry the bier.
The woman was being treated for diarrhea. She passed away in the hospital and was bought home in an ambulance. Banka had asked people in his neighbourhood to come to his aid but no one showed up. He had no option but to carry the body to the crematorium tied to his bicycle frame, the sources added.
