3 months ago
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Two days aft a caste enactment implicit the engagement of a Dalit pistillate arsenic an anganwadi helper was raised successful Parliament, Odisha's Kendrapara territory medication connected Saturday (February 14, 2026) said the substance had been resolved done negotiations.
Kendrapara territory sub-collector Arun Nayak said the substance has been amicably resolved arsenic villagers person agreed to nonstop their children to the anganwadi centre from Monday (February 16, 2026).
"Final talks with upper-caste residents, who had stopped sending their children to the centre since November 21, were held successful the beingness of stakeholders, including members of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and Odisha State Commission for Women. The officials sensitised villagers connected the abolition of age-old caste practices," helium said.
The anganwadi centre volition relation usually from Monday (February 16, 2026) arsenic the parents consented to nonstop their children, Sujata Nayak, member, authorities committee for extortion of kid rights, said.
The quality arose successful Nuagaon colony nether Ghalimala gram panchayat, wherever residents boycotted the centre for astir 3 months, besides refusing to person nutritious nutrient items for large women, protesting the engagement of Sharmistha Sethy, a Dalit woman, arsenic helper.
"I americium blessed that the substance is resolved. I americium hopeless to spot children backmost successful the anganwadi centre and women receiving their nutritious nutrient items provided by the government," said Ms. Sethy.
"I volition effort my champion to service the children and women," she said.
Kharge connected anganwadi boycott
Congress president and person of absorption successful the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, connected February 12 had raised concerns implicit caste favoritism astatine workplaces, citing a caller incidental successful Odisha wherever members of a peculiar assemblage refused to fto their children devour nutrient cooked by a Dalit anganwadi worker.
Raising the contented during Zero Hour successful the Upper House, Mr. Kharge said, "In the 21st century, erstwhile we speech astir societal development, societal reform, and the unity of Hindus, radical of a peculiar assemblage are refusing to fto their children devour nutrient cooked by a Dalit pistillate who is simply a helper-cum-cook successful an anganwadi centre successful Odisha. That anganwadi centre has been boycotted for the past 3 months."
An authoritative said arsenic the centre remained unopen for each applicable purposes, the territory medication initiated steps to amicably settee the quality by deputing a high-level squad to the village, but it initially failed.
The protesting residents yet agreed aft realising that depriving children of pre-school acquisition could harm their future.
Kalpana Mallik, subordinate of Odisha State Commission for Women, said she had elaborate discussions with the villagers earlier they yet agreed to halt opposing an educated pistillate connected the ground of her caste.
"We are hopeful that specified incidents volition not beryllium repeated successful the colony successful future. The Nuagaon colony has a colonisation of 450. The camaraderie, bonding and chap feeling among the radical is precise overmuch intact. The caller incidental was a stray case," sarpanch Sailendra Mishra said.
Villager Gobardhan Pradhan said, "We person forgotten the quality of the past. We volition nary much reason the Dalit anganwadi helper’s engagement astatine the centre."
