A caste dispute that shut an anganwadi centre in Odisha’s Kendrapara district for nearly three months ended after upper caste families allowed children to eat food cooked by a Dalit helper. Sixteen children attended the reopened centre on Monday.
A three-month-long caste dispute at an anganwadi centre in Kendrapara, Odisha, ended on Monday after upper caste families sent their children back and allowed them to eat food cooked by a Dalit woman helper. The development brought relief to officials and villagers who had been trying to resolve the issue for months.
Out of 20 children enrolled at the anganwadi centre in Nuagaon village under Ghalimala gram panchayat, 16 attended with their parents. They ate the nutritious food prepared at the centre. Officials said the remaining four children were absent because they were unwell.
Centre Had Remained Shut Since November
The anganwadi centre had remained non-functional since November 21 last year. The closure followed the appointment of Sharmistha Sethy, a Dalit woman, as a helper at the facility. Several upper caste families refused to send their children to the centre and also rejected government-supplied nutrition meant for pregnant women and lactating mothers.
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The boycott triggered outrage across the country. The issue was also raised in Parliament. Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, expressed concern over caste discrimination and workplace exclusion.
Children Return And Centre Comes Alive Again
On Monday, the anganwadi centre reopened in a positive atmosphere. Kendrapara Child Development Project Officer Dipali Mishra and Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo were present to welcome the children and their families.
Sethy said she served ragi ladoos to the children and later cooked rice and dalma, a vegetable curry. She described the moment as emotional and joyful.
“Seeing the children eat and play again made me very happy. The centre had been deserted for nearly three months,” she said. She also expressed hope that caste discrimination would not return to the village.
Officials said the children spent time playing with toys and interacting with each other, restoring normal activity at the centre.
Officials And Leaders Welcome Resolution
CDPO Dipali Mishra said the centre had functioned without children for nearly three months due to disagreement among villagers over Sethy’s appointment. She described the return of children as a heartening development and expressed hope that all enrolled children would attend regularly from now on.
Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo said the issue should now be treated as resolved. He urged villagers to maintain unity and social harmony.
Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda also welcomed the development. In a message shared publicly, he said he was delighted to see children receive nutritious meals at the anganwadi and praised the community for coming together for the welfare of children. Panda had visited the centre earlier and shared a meal served by Sethy along with local villagers and leaders.
Awareness Efforts To Prevent Future Discrimination
Sujata Nayak, a member of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, praised the resolution and said awareness programmes would be launched to protect children’s rights and prevent discrimination. Officials from the district administration and state commissions had earlier held meetings with villagers to sensitise them and resolve the dispute.
Authorities said the resolution followed discussions involving community members, local leaders and officials. The administration hopes the centre will now function normally and continue providing nutrition and early education services to children and mothers.
The reopening of the anganwadi marks a significant step towards restoring trust within the community and ensuring that welfare services reach those who need them most.
(With inputs from agencies)
