Odisha man denied permission to cremate wife for 'defying' tribal tradition

A group of villagers belonging to the Santhal tribe at Kuchei village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district allegedly denied permission to Kandra Soren, a fellow tribesman, to cremate his wife for having failed to gift a cow or bullock to the bride’s family at the time of his marriage, thereby defying the tribal tradition.

Mayurbhanj (Odisha): Kandra Soren, a daily wager belonging to Santhal tribe in Kuchei village of Odisha's Mayurbhanj, was denied help and permission by the fellow tribal villagers to cremate his wife even after three days of her death for having failed to gift a cow or bullock to the bride’s family at the time of his marriage, thereby defying the tribal tradition.

According to the sources, the villagers also allegedly insisted Kandra Soren to pay an old ‘society penalty’ before allowing anyone to assist him in the cremation. The penalty that included a goat, three chickens, 15 kg of rice and two pots of country liquor was imposed on the family of Kandra Soren because his father had married outside the clan decades ago.

As Soren expressed his inability to pay the penalty to the community and to his in-laws he received help from neither of them, and was denied permission to take the body of his wife Parbati Soren, who died of prolonged illness on August 14, to the crematorium for the last rites.

Later the body was cremated after the police intervened in the matter.

The couple married, defying the Santhali traditions,10 years ago and were blessed with two children.