After woman dies of TB, daughters perform last rites as kin, villagers stay away

Patna: In a heart-wrenching tale of abandonment and resilience, two young sisters in Saran district were forced to perform the last rites of their mother, Babita Devi (56), who died of tuberculosis (TB), as neither their relatives nor villagers came forward for help, for “fear of infection”.

All the more, the villagers even stopped Mausam (20) and Roushan Kumari (18) — they being women — from performing the last rites, as the task is traditionally performed by sons in India.


The woman had succumbed to TB at Patna Medical College and Hospital on Jan 20, leaving behind her daughters, who are struggling to make ends meet. A video of the daughters went viral on Jan 30 during Babita’s ‘Shraddha’ ceremony at Jawania village in Marhaura block.

The sisters, who lived in poverty since the death of their father Ravindra Singh over a year ago, cared for their mother with limited resources. Despite their desperate pleas for help, no one from their family or community came forward to support them. After Babita’s death, the sisters were left to shoulder the burden of their mother’s funeral.

Roushan said her mother was initially treated at the primary health centre in Hisuapur, before being referred to Chhapra sadar hospital. “When her condition deteriorated, we admitted her to PMCH. After treatment for three days, she succumbed to her illness,” she said, adding they didn’t even have money for funeral. When the body was brought to the village for the last rites, the relatives were informed, but no one reached, she rued.

“We went to the villagers for help, but no one came forward for fear of getting infected with TB. Later, a villager contributed for the shroud and other things. The villagers did not even participate in the funeral procession. They even stopped us to perform the last rites. They told us that we cannot shave our heads for the rituals. But we sisters lent our shoulders to carry the body for cremation. My elder sister Mausam lit the pyre,” Roushan said.

Mausam said that some relatives later came to the village on Jan 29, and contributed for the rituals.