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Shahapur Tribal Hamlet Performs Cremation in Open Field Amid Rain

Shahapur Tribal Hamlet Performs Cremation in Open Field Amid Rain
79 Years After Independence, Shahapur Tribal Hamlet Performs Cremation In Open Field Amid Rain · freepressjournal.in

A woman from a small tribal village passed away.

Her name was Jayabai Mahadu Wagh.

Her family and neighbours wanted to give her a proper farewell.

But their village, called Katkariwadi, does not have a cremation ground where such farewells are held.

So they had to do the cremation in an open field.

It rained very heavily, so the villagers held big plastic sheets over the fire so it wouldn't go out.

The roads were so bad that no ambulance could reach the village, so the villagers carried her body on their shoulders for about 1.5 kilometres.

The residents have been asking their leaders for a cremation ground for almost two years.

They say more than 250 other villages in the area have the same problem.

They hope the government builds a proper cremation ground and roads so no family has to say goodbye in the rain.

Key facts

Deceased
Jayabai Mahadu Wagh, gram panchayat committee member
Location
Katkariwadi settlement, Umbharai village, Shahapur taluka
Settlement population
Around 100
Distance body carried
About 1.5 km
Demand pending
Nearly two years for a cremation ground
Villages affected (claimed)
More than 250 across Shahapur taluka
Shahapur taluka size
110 gram panchayats, 227 revenue villages, 414 villages and hamlets

Quotes

Keshav Pawar

Resident of Katkariwadi village

“There is no proper road and no cremation facility in Katkariwadi. Even during heavy rain, villagers are left with no option but to put up tarpaulin sheets and somehow perform the last rites.”
freepressjournal.in
“There is no proper road to bring the body home. We had to carry it on our shoulders. There is also no designated place for cremation, forcing us to perform the last rites near the river.”
freepressjournal.in

Sources

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