Family ostracized, sisters carry father's bier in CG village

RAIPUR: Shunned by the village because they couldn't pay a kangaroo court "fine", two sisters carried their father's bier to the crematorium in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh on Sunday, even as their close relatives stood aside and the village shunned them in their darkest hour of grief.
The administration is investigating the heart-wrenching incident in Saldabri, a village of 800 in Bagbahara tehsil, around 35km from the district headquarters.
The family of 75-year-old Harin Sahu has been facing ostracization for nearly 10 months. On October 24, 2022, a brawl involving the Sahu family erupted in the village on Diwali. Harin's wife Bina Sahu and her nephew, Pintu were blamed.
The village convened a meeting the following day and imposed a fine of Rs 2,500 on each of them - a sum that was, and is, beyond their means, say sources. The family sought two months' time to arrange the money but couldn't.
Since then, they have been isolated by the village and were even allegedly assaulted at another such meeting.
"We were broken by the incident and fell into despair. Our lives turned into a nightmare as the community ostracized us," said Tameshwar Sahu, Harin's son.
Harin died on Sunday, and the family was shell shocked to realise that even in bereavement, no one bothered to say a kind word, let alone help them. The family couldn't even get four men to carry the bier to the crematorium at Muktinath Ghat.
Bina, struggling with her own grief and the shock of being abandoned by the community, eventually called her married daughters - Kavita Sahu and Yamini Sahu - from neighbouring villages to help in their father's last rites.
They came over and lent their shoulders to their father's bier. With the two women in the lead, and Tameshwar and his brother-in-law in the rear, Harin was carried for his cremation. The entire village stood silently by.
Pictures of the incident were shared on social media and eventually reached district officials. An inquiry was ordered and Bagbahara police took down statements of the affected family members. They will record statements of villagers next.
"Our investigation is underway, and we will submit our report within three days. We will leave no stone unturned in bringing justice to the aggrieved family," said Bagbahara SHO Mahesh Sahu.
According to sources, another Sahu family and eight tribal families have been subjected to similar ostracism in the village. The authorities have warned of strict action in such cases.