Caste Row Over Dalit Anganwadi Helper Resolved in Odisha’s Kendrapara After Talks
Kendrapara: Two days after a caste discrimination issue related to the appointment of a Dalit anganwadi helper in Kendrapara district was raised in Parliament, the local administration on Saturday announced that the matter has been resolved following extensive discussions with villagers.
The controversy had surfaced in Nuagaon village under Ghalimala gram panchayat, where residents had boycotted the local anganwadi centre since November 21. The protest was against the appointment of Sharmistha Sethy, a Dalit woman, as helper-cum-cook at the centre. Sethy was appointed in November 2025 after no other applications were received for the post.
For nearly three months, villagers refrained from sending their children to the anganwadi centre and refused to accept nutritious food supplies meant for pregnant women and children.
Kendrapara Sub-Collector Arun Nayak said that final discussions were held with villagers in the presence of stakeholders, including members of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Odisha State Commission for Women. Officials counselled residents on constitutional values and the abolition of caste-based discrimination.
“Following the talks, parents have agreed to send their children to the anganwadi centre from Monday. The matter has been resolved through dialogue,” Nayak said.
The issue drew national attention on February 12 when Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, raised it during Zero Hour in the Upper House. He referred to the Odisha incident as an example of caste discrimination persisting in workplaces, stating that some villagers had objected to their children consuming food prepared by a Dalit anganwadi worker.
Nuagaon, a village with a population of around 450, has now expressed its willingness to restore normal functioning of the centre.
With the impasse resolved, district officials expressed hope that the episode would reinforce the importance of social inclusion, equality, and constitutional values at the grassroots level.
