Kendrapara (Odisha), Feb 10 (PTI) Upper caste parents of children enrolled in an Anganwadi Centre in Odisha’s Kendrapara district have stopped sending their wards to the pre-learning centre for nearly three months following the engagement of a ‘dalit’ woman as a helper, an official said.
All the 20-odd children who used to attend the Anganwadi Centre belong to upper castes.
The district administration has initiated steps to amicably settle the ongoing dispute by deputing a high-level team to Nuagaon village in Ghalimala gram panchayat under Rajnagar police station jurisdiction.
“I have become a victim of caste bias. I was the sole applicant when an advertisement was brought out for the engagement of a helper at the centre. I was appointed in November 2025. Since 21 November, children skipped the centre as their parents opposed my engagement on caste grounds,” said Sharmistha Sethy, helper of the Nuagaon Anganwadi Centre.
Officials said that before her appointment, around 20 children aged between three and six years regularly attended the centre. However, since November 21, no child has come.
Kendrapara Collector Raghuram R Iyer said, “A team of officials headed by the District Social Welfare Officer has rushed to the village to inquire into the incident. It is alleged that a section of people are opposing the engagement of a helper, who belongs to the scheduled caste community.” The officials are ascertaining whether the incident is linked to the caste factor, Iyer said.
“It’s indeed disconcerting to note that the impressionable minds of children are being poisoned by caste factors. Caste bias of this nature is an act of criminality. The authorities concerned need to resolve the issue at the earliest and initiate legal action against those perpetrating caste conflicts,” said rights activist Biswapriya Kanungo. PTI COR AAM NN
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