Denied land, SC man buries wife in house
MADHEPURA: With a community crematorium missing in his village and denied permission by fellow villagers to cremate the body of his wife on their land, a landless Mahadalit labourer in Bihar’s Madhepura district buried his deceased wife’s body in his house Tuesday. The heart rending incident has occurred in Kewatgama village under Kumarkhand block.
This incident has once again raised the deplorable condition of Mahadalits in Bihar’s countryside. Besides, it has also brought to light the pertinent issue of separate ‘Muktidham’ or ‘Crematorium site’ for the Hindus in every panchayat.
Harinarayan Rishidev, 40, is a landless daily waged earner. “My wife Sahogiya Devi, 35, fell ill on Sunday and died a day after. She was suffering from diarrhea. When no villager was ready to allow cremation on their land, I decided to bury her in my house,” said Harinarayan.
Harinarayan said landless people suffer on several accounts. “I do not want this to be repeated with my other landless brethren,” he said, demanding a separate community cremation ground in every panchayat, like it is for the Muslims.
Former mukhiya, Bechan Rishidev, echoed Rishidev’s grievances. He said “The oppressed landless scheduled caste people can’t rest in peace even after death. Harinarayan’s agony should move the government and they should immediately come up with corrective measures else we would be forced to launch peaceful agitation.”
Kailash Rishidev of the same village felt a concerted effort said, “I fail to understand why the government till now has failed to take substantial step to give honour and dignity to our dead.”
Karo Devi of the same village said by burying his wife in his house, Harinarayan has exposed the plight of millions of schedule caste people in the country whose basic rights still elude them in this so-called civilised society.
Madhepura sub-divisional officer (SDO) Brinda Lal, who along with Kumarkhand circle officer rushed to the village after being informed about the incident said, “We are going to the village and after holding talks with villager and Panchayat mukhiya, a piece of land will be identified for a cremation. The assurance has done little to pacify the agitated locals. “The government claims that it will provide us land and job but we are skeptic about their hollow claims and false promises,” the ex-mukhiya said.