On a foggy and hazy Monday morning, tiny tots dressed in colourful attire arrived at an Anganwadi pre-learning centre with their parents, joyfully receiving ragi ladoos from a Dalit woman. This marked a refreshing turnaround in a remote village in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, which had been caught in a caste conflict for almost three months and had grabbed national headlines.
The unsavoury dispute arose in Nuagaon village under Ghalimala Gram Panchayat, where residents had boycotted the centre for nearly three months. They also refused to receive nutritious food meant for pregnant women, and parents stopped sending their children to the centre in protest against the appointment of Sharmistha Sethy, a Dalit woman, as a helper.
It was Sharmistha Sethy, whose appointment in November last year had prompted upper-caste parents to withdraw their children, who became the centre of attraction as the Anganwadi resumed full-fledged operations with the children’s return.
“I served ragi ladoos to the children. Later, I served rice and dalma (vegetable curry). As the children ate, I was overjoyed. They also played with toys, bringing life back to the centre, which had remained deserted for around three months. The three hours I spent at the centre mingling with the children were the most memorable moments of my life. I am optimistic that the caste row will not raise its head in the village again,” Sharmistha said gleefully.
“Children, accompanied by their parents and guardians, had joyous moments as they arrived at the Anganwadi centre. For almost three months, the centre functioned without children due to villagers’ disagreement over Sharmistha Sethy’s appointment as helper. The centre had lost its vibrancy as parents chose not to send their children. Now, the lively sounds of playful children have returned,” said Dipali Mishra, Child Development Project Officer (CDPO), who is responsible for implementing Integrated Child Development Services in Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district.
Of the 20 enrolled children, 16 attended the centre, while four were absent due to illness. “We are hopeful they will return from tomorrow onwards as the dispute was resolved on Saturday. The settlement of the issue and people’s decision to put aside their differences is a heartening moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” she said emotionally.
Rajnagar MLA Dhurba Charan Sahoo, who visited the centre, said, “I am happy that the conflict has become a thing of the past with children returning to the Anganwadi centre. I hope the villagers’ camaraderie will remain intact in the coming days.”
It may be noted that the Anganwadi centre in Kendrapara district had remained non-functional since 21 November after Sharmistha’s appointment, as locals had reportedly opposed it on caste grounds. Incidentally, she was the lone applicant for the contractual post advertised by the district administration.
The caste conflict had triggered nationwide outrage. The All India Congress Committee president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had raised concerns on February 12 over caste discrimination at workplaces, citing the Kendrapara incident.
Sujata Nayak, Member of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), expressed relief over the children’s return and said the Commission would launch periodic awareness initiatives to safeguard children’s rights.
“Instructions are being issued to district-level government agencies to ensure that the constitutional rights of children are safeguarded and protected,” she added.