Assam: Local Administration Helps Cremate Body After Villagers Refuse Aid

Authorities in the Darrang district of Assam on Friday exhumed and cremated a body after the locals in the area refused to help the family of the deceased.

The buried body of a deceased was cremated as per Hindu rituals as locals refused to help the family due to social banishment owing to the deceased’s inter-caste marriage 27 years ago.

The deceased person was identified as Atul Sarma, a resident Patolsingpara area in Darrang. He died on Tuesday.

His wife claimed, “The villagers told us to complete the last rites ourselves. One of my husband's brothers came forward and as he was alone, he could manage to only bury the body and not cremate it.”

They also has a son, however, he could not arrive before his father’s body was buried.

Later the son said that his family has been banished since their parents tied the knot 27 years ago because his mother belonged to a “lower caste”.

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After the local civil and police administration officials came to know about the incident, they reached the spot and with the consent of the family exhumed the body.

Following the legal formalities they arranged for the cremation.

They said, “The body was exhumed in the presence of a magistrate. After completing legal formalities, the cremation was arranged by us.”

Atul’s wife belonged to the Koch-Rajbonshi community.

The representatives of the community visited the bereaved family and demanded action against the villagers who had banished the family.

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