Villagers boycott three families, stop sending kids to school and Anganwadi centre in Odisha 

The school-going children of Kushapalli village under Kabisuryanagar block in Ganjam district are bearing the brunt of ostracism-like social evil. They are not allowed to go to the Anganwadi centre and the primary school by their parents with the intention to teach a lesson to three ostracised families as most of the staff of the two institutions are from the said families. 

The cast out of the three families is linked to the Panchayat election held last year. 

After the Panchayat election, the said families were ostracised due to reasons associated with the casting of votes. Since then, the villagers have been maintaining distance from these families. 

But the children of the village have become the victims of the political rivalry as their parents have stopped them from going to the Anganwadi centre and the primary school. They are doing so allegedly after a decision taken in the village meeting. 

Since the women members of the three families are working as cook at the school, ASHA worker and assistant at the Anganwadi centre, the villagers have decided not to receive any service from them. They are also not receiving eggs or satu from the centre.

As a result, the Anganwadi centre has been witnessing the presence of three to four students only. The picture of the primary school located near the centre is no better either. The school has 44 students reading in five classes from Class I to V. Barring four to five, none is coming to the school. 

Even though the victimised families took the matter up with the police, none is coming to their rescue. 

“We have been ostracised for one and a half years now over the Panchayat election. The villagers are not receiving even medicine from me. We have already informed the police and the sarpanch but to no avail,” alleged ASHA worker, Laxmi Nahak. 

Another villager Dilip Kumar Nahak alleged they have been not allowed to buy grocery items from the village shops. Similarly, women have not been allowed to collect water from the tube well, he said. 

When asked, Kusapalli Primary School’s assistant teacher Purnachandra Sahu said, “Even though the children are in the village, they are not coming to the school.”

However, village committee president Arun Nahak denied the ostracising allegation. 

“The committee took a decision not to allow children to attend the Anganwadi centre or the school for the committee not having records of the two institutions,” said Nahak. 

Meanwhile, concerned officers recently visited the village and held a discussion with the parents and members of the village committee. But things remained the same, it was alleged. 

“The teacher told me that the children are in the village but not coming to the school. We will try to find out the cause behind this and its solution,” said Rabi Narayan Behera, BRCC, Kabisuryanagar.

No reactions from the police have been received.