A three-month-long caste row at an anganwadi centre in Nuagaon village, Kendrapara district, Odisha, came to an end on Monday as upper caste children returned and consumed food cooked by a Dalit woman helper.
Of the 20 children enrolled, 16 attended the centre with their parents and accepted meals prepared by Sharmistha Sethy, while the remaining children reported being unwell.
The centre had remained shut since November 21, following Sethy’s appointment as a helper, as several upper caste families refused to send their children or accept government-supplied nutritious food items for pregnant women and lactating mothers.
The incident had triggered nationwide attention and was even raised in Parliament. Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had voiced concern over caste discrimination in the workplace.
On Monday, Kendrapara Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) Dipali Mishra and Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo welcomed the children back to the centre.
"I served ragi ladoos to the children. Later, I cooked rice and 'dalma' (vegetable curry) and served the children. Seeing them eat the meals made me overjoyed. They also played with toys, bringing back life to the centre, which was left deserted for around three months," Sethy said. "I hope caste discrimination will not lurk its ugly head in the village anymore."
CDPO Mishra said the children, flanked by their guardians, had joyous moments at the centre.
"The centre functioned sans the children for almost three months due to some villagers' disagreement over the appointment of Sharmistha Sethy as the anganwadi centre helper. Now, the vibrancy is back," she said.
On the absentees, Mishra added, "We hope the absentee children will come to the centre on Tuesday as the dispute has been resolved. People have decided to relegate the differences to the background. This is heartening."
Rajnagar MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo said, "The issue is now a thing of the past. I hope the camaraderie among the villagers will remain intact."
Taking to X, Kendrapara MP and BJP national vice president Baijayant Panda said, "Delighted at children having a nutritious meal today at the Nuagaon anganwadi which I had reviewed yesterday and had a wonderful lunch along with local leaders and villagers. It was heartening to see the community coming together to ensure great beginnings for their children."
Panda, who hails from the Brahmin community, and other upper caste villagers joined a feast where Sethy served food to the guests on Sunday.
State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) member Sujata Nayak welcomed the children’s return to the centre and said the commission will launch an awareness drive aimed at safeguarding the rights of the children.
Kendrapara district sub-collector Arun Nayak had earlier said the matter was resolved in the presence of stakeholders, including members of the SCPCR and Odisha State Commission for Women, as officials sensitised villagers on the issue.
