Gujarat : Caste Divide Denies Woman’s Final Rites

Vadodara : Tragedy struck the village of Kankodakui in Panchmahal district in Gujarat as a woman’s final rites were marred by a divisive caste issue.

Sumitraben, wife of Ramjibhai Naik, passed away due to childbirth complications on December 14. However, her family faced a harrowing 24-hour ordeal, unable to cremate her in the village crematorium.

Ramjibhai recounted the distressing ordeal, highlighting the village’s refusal to perform the last rites due to caste-based discrimination. With no resolution in sight, the family made a heart-wrenching decision to lay Sumitraben to rest on their agricultural land.

While village sarpanch Hirabhai Rathva dismissed claims of caste discrimination, citing the absence of a local crematorium, the villagers insist otherwise. Rathva acknowledged the need for a village crematorium, stating that bodies are transported seven kilometers away for cremation.

Amid conflicting accounts, Ramjibhai remains open to disclosing the truth behind the 24-hour delay, while whispers in the village underscore the underlying caste tensions that marred Sumitraben’s dignified farewell, a sentiment unverified by leaders willing to confront the issue.