Balasore man's funeral delayed for 2 days: Conversion dispute halts rites in Rangamatia village

Balasore: The final rites of a 95-year-old man were halted for nearly two days in Balasore district’s Rangamatia village following a dispute between family members and villagers over burial arrangements linked to conversion.The deceased, identified as Chhuta Hansda, passed away late Wednesday night. However, his body remained in a coffin at the family’s thatched house until Friday afternoon as no consensus could be reached on conduct of the last rites.Sources said the deceased’s younger son, Bhim Hansda, who converted to Christianity about 15 years ago, wanted to bury his father in the backyard of their house in accordance with Christian customs. Villagers opposed the proposal, objecting to burial within the village.“The villagers did not allow us to perform his last rites according to our faith. I wanted to place my father in a coffin and bury him, but they opposed it,” Bhim said.As the dispute escalated, Bhim approached Raibania police and revenue authorities, who reportedly granted permission for the burial. However, the deadlock continued as other family members also objected to the plan, leaving the body unattended for several hours.Village head Samurai Hansda said the objection was primarily over the method of burial. “We objected to the last rites being performed according to Christian rituals. Had it been done following Adivasi customs, there would have been no opposition,” he said.To prevent any law-and-order situation, police officers, including the SDPO and IIC of Raibania police station, visited the village on Thursday evening along with additional personnel. Despite prolonged mediation efforts, the issue remained unresolved until Friday.“The administration made all efforts to ensure that no disturbance or confrontation took place. After lengthy discussions, a consensus was finally reached. The last rites were performed according to Christian rituals at a site demarcated by revenue officials,” SDPO Subrat Kumar Behera said.“The Jaleswar tehsildar will convene a meeting of both parties in the coming days to address the dispute and ensure peaceful coexistence in the village,” he added.