Leprosy patient denied decent funeral in Boudh village

Boudh: In transgression to Hindu tradition, a woman on Wednesday joined her brother and husband to carry the body of her father, a leprosy patient, to the cremation ground after villagers refused to extend a helping hand.
The incident was reported from Basudebpalli village under Manamunda Panchayat of Boudh district.
According to reports, Jaynarayan Sahu (60), a retired bank official, died this morning. The villagers had ostracised the family since he was suffering from leprosy. He was undergoing treatment at Manamunda.
“The villagers refused to touch him. We three carried the dead body and conducted the last rites. The Manamunda Sarpanch gave Rs 2,000 for the funeral,” said Jayanarayan’s son Sanjib.
The incident brought to the fore the continuing social stigma surrounding leprosy in rural areas of the state despite repeated efforts of the government to sensitise people on the issue.