A HIV positive youth, who died after a long suffering, was denied cremation in a designated burial ground in his village as the fellow villagers were protested it tooth and nail. Finally, after a wait of 10 hours and intervention of police and local administration failed to yield any result, the hapless kin performed the last rites on the premises of their house.
The heartrending incident, making it clear that the people are yet to do away with stigma over AIDS, took place at Tantei village under Soro block on Friday. The deceased of 30 years age was working in a private company in Mumbai and other places outside the State for about 10 years. He was detected with the HIV virus about two years ago in a private clinic. About two months back, he had returned to his native village as his health condition had deteriorated. He received treatment in Cuttack-based SCB Medical College and Hospital and also in other private hospitals in Odisha.
The deceased is survived by his 26-year-old wife and two daughters of 13 years and 8 years of age, besides his 60-year-old mother. Sources in the village said his wife and younger daughter are too affected with HIV. His 18- month- old son had died after suffering from HIV about six months ago.
When the family members of the deceased tried to take the body to the village grave yard which is a Government land, a section of villagers opposed the move. They did not heed the appeal of the family members. Assistant Revenue Inspector (ARI) of the locality and police of the local outpost tried to persuade the villagers, but in vain.
The villagers said that the cremation was no longer taking place on the patch of land since a year as residential houses have come up in its vicinity and asked the kin to perform the same in the river bank, about 100 metres from the burial ground.
“The opposition group said that the ground was no longer used for cremation; instead the cremation was being done in the river bank, about 100 meters far. They resisted the cremation and finally, the cremation was done in house campus as the kin didn’t wish to go to river bank,” said ARI Mahendra Das.
Soro Tehsildar Priyabarta Padhi, neither confirming nor refuting the allegation of HIV stigma, said, “The problem should have been sorted out by the villagers amicably.”
District Collector Pramod Das said, “A detailed report has been sought from the local Tehsildar and whatever needful would be done.”