Shameful: 75-Year Old Leprosy Patient Isolated Even After Death

Odisha: Another shocking incident took place in Odisha's Boudh district when a 75-year old man was refused a proper cremation ceremony because he was suffering from leprosy before death. Though leprosy is treatable, but the social disgrace associated with the ailment is not. Jayanarayan Sahu, a bank official, suffered from leprosy and was cured from the disease, but unfortunately that was not enough. The 'disgrace' of being diseased with such an ailment was too serious to be overlooked by the entire village.

The retired bank official lived with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and daughter and spent most of his life in isolation. Even after he was cured of leprosy over a decade and a half before he died, natives of the place refused to accept him as a part of the society.
 

During the wee hours of Wednesday, Jayanaran passed away. The family called for all their relatives for the cremation ceremony but were left helpless after no one showed up. None of the villagers appeared for support too and refused to lend a shoulder to the deceased.

Left with no choice, the family had to perform the rituals themselves. Sanjib, son of the deceased Jayanarayan, along with his wife, sister and brother-in-law performed all the rituals as none of the villages turned up for the last rites.

"People of our own caste had shunned us due to our father's leprosy. As no one helped us we were forced to do the last rites alone. Only the sarpanch of Manmunda helped us with Rs 2000." said Sanjib. He also shared," My wife despite being married was forced to perform the ritual".
 

Sad it is that even after years of independence and calling our country a developing nation, such issues continue to affect us. It is not the body that is diseased, sometimes, it is the mind, and that is more dangerous indeed.