Odisha: Dalit boy forcefully ‘purified’ of pores and skin illness, household pays Rs 10,000 for social acceptance

By Express News Service
BERHAMPUR: In a surprising incident, minor Dalit boy of a village underneath Jagannath Prasad block who suffered from a congenital pores and skin dysfunction was pressured to endure a ‘purification’ ritual to be accepted by superstitious villagers who had socially ostracised his household. 

What’s much more appalling, the household even needed to cough up Rs 10,000 for being accepted again into Baghua village the place it occured two weeks again. The incident got here to the fore on Wednesday. The seven-year-old boy has been affected by a pores and skin situation – congenital nevomelanocytic nevus (CNN) – generally often called congenital bushy nevus which ends up in uncommon progress of darkish bushy patches all around the physique. 

A pores and skin situation recognized at delivery, the boy had acquired the district administration assist three years again and undergone a surgical procedure on the Plastic Surgery division within the MKCG Medical College and Hospital with help from  Bhanjanagar sub collector Rajendra Minz.

However, as a result of lack of follow-up therapy, boils appeared on the operated pores and skin parts and turned septic as his household couldn’t afford his remedy. Trouble surfaced two weeks again when the household confronted social ostracisation by fellow villagers who claimed that the boy is affected by a illness that’s contagious, “inauspicious” and will have an effect on well being of others.

While the household pleaded for social acceptance, the superstitious villagers insisted on the boy’s ‘purification’ by being tonsured adopted by a ritual and group feast. His father, Ram Chandra Naik, a day by day wager, needed to pay Rs 10,000 to appease the villagers and be accepted into the group. 

Ganjam Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange stated that the boy’s mother and father met the Bhanjanagar sub collector on Monday. “A sum of Rs 10,000 from the Red Cross Fund was sanctioned to them. The sub collector has instructed the tehsildar and the IIC to inquire into the ostracisation incident on Thursday,” he stated.