Odisha Woman Revenue Officer Cremates 82-Year-Old Man Without Family

Malkangiri: A lady revenue official here showed human compassion when she lit the funeral pyre of an 82-year-old who died without anyone left behind to perform his last rites.

According to locals, the body of Manik Lal Ghose was lying in the cremation ground without anyone to light his pyre. Hearing of this, Shyama Haldar stepped forward to perform the cremation and other rituals as per the Vedic tradition.

Shyama works as an assistant revenue inspector. She had also rented one of her house to Manik Lal.

Locals said Manik Lal had died of cardiac arrest late on Wednesday. Some locals brought the body to the cremation ground, but none of them lit the pyre till Thursday morning. It was then that Shyama conducted Manik Lal’s last rites like his daughter.

Manik Lal worked with the Electricity Department. After his retirement and death of his wife, he used to manage the Nigamananda Ashram in Malkangiri town. As he had no children, Manik Lal often told Shyama to light his pyre after his death and she kept her promise.