No money to hire a hearse; Odisha man carries wife’s body on shoulders

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhawanipatna, Aug 24:

Shocking! Not having enough money to pay for hiring a hearse to carry his dead wife to their village, husband Dana Majhi, an extremely poor man today accompanied by his minor daughter carried his wife’s body from the district headquarters hospital on his shoulders on the way to his village-Melaghara under Thuamul Rampur block in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.

It was only after Majhi had trudged ten kilometers carrying his dead wife Amanga Dei (35) on his shoulders that some youths stopped him from doing so and informed the Collector about the incident.

It may be mentioned here that Majhi had got his wife Amanga Dei admitted to the district headquarters hospital here on Tuesday after she fell ill. Amanga Dei succumbed to her illness in the wee hours today.

An extremely poor Majhi requested many to help him carry his dead wife to their village but none neither the hospital authorities extended a helping hand.

He didn’t have the money, hearse operators demanded to carry his wife’s body to his village.

“I had requested the hospital authorities to provide a vehicle to carry the body since I had no money with me. I told them that I am a very poor man and have no money to hire a vehicle. They said they can’t help. Left with no option I decided to carry her on my shoulders,” said Majhi.

It was after the Collector intervened in the matter, the district administration sent a vehicle to carry dead Amanga Dei to her village.

“After we came to know about it I have instructed the CDMO to provide with an ambulance. I have also issued instructions to the tehsildar to provide assistance under Harishchandra Yojana. Moreover, I have asked the BDO to provide assistance from Red Cross or Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” informed Brunda D, Collector Kalahandi.