Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notice to the Odisha government and sought a detailed report on reported social boycott of an elderly woman and alleged refusal of villagers’ support for her last rites in Sundargarh district.
The notice was issued after the NHRC took suo motu cognisance of a media report that an elderly woman passed away suffering 12 years of social boycott. Even after her death, the villagers did not extend support to her daughter in conducting her last rites at Mahuldiha Village in the district.
Eventually, her last rites were performed when the administration stepped in and some local NGOs were associated.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise issues of violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued a notice to the Odisha Chief Secretary, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
According to the media report, the woman’s family was subjected to social ostracisation for being unable to pay a penalty imposed by the villagers after her daughter had briefly left home with a man from another caste.
