Dead consigned to flames inside village in Gadag
Tired of having their appeals for a crematorium fall on deaf ears every single time, villagers of Benthur performed the last rites of a woman right in middle of the village, on Saturday.
The body of 23-year-old Manjula Angadi, who died after brief illness, was consigned to the flames in the middle of the village. In the past, villagers performed the last rites in a shallow pit by the side of Nilagunda road.
But after the recent rains, the pit is filled with water and villagers decided to draw the attention of the local administration by lighting the woman’s funeral pyre in the village.
Even tahsildar D B Konnur’s attempt at preventing the villagers from carrying out the funeral in this manner failed as they set the pyre on fire right in front of him.
A funereal calm prevails in the village now. Shops near the bus stand, where the last rites were performed, have downed their shutters and people have stopped walking around in the area. Though there is a crematorium in the neighbouring Anthur village, residents of Benthur are not allowed to perform the last rites here. In fact just two years ago, residents of the two villages had clashed in this regard. Ever since, people of all communities have performed the funerals of their dead ones in the shallow pit near Nilagunda road.
