Tribals refuse to cremate bodies due to evil spirit

Jeypore, Orissa, Sep 1 (UNI) The belief in evil spirit is so strong in the tribal-dominated Korapout district that even a son has refused to perform the last rites of his father, who died of cholera.

The body of 55-year old Siaba Kodka of Pojahr village under Dasmantpur in Koraput district was kept 'untouched' for past 24 hours as his own son Sukra hesitated to perform the last rites.

Such scene is now common in the cholera devastated Dasmantpur block as tribals are reluctant to perform last rites of their relatives who died of cholera during the past fortnight.

The tribals have the reason to do so as they have a strong belief of ''badibudi duma'', an evil spirit which appears in a hundred years in the tribal areas, has now reappeared and whoever touches the bodies of the dead persons, would be killed by the same disease.

The tribal myth and culture, has once again surfaced in cholera-prone Dasmantpur and Kashipur as the belief of duma' spread more rapid then the cholera aggravating the situation to prevent the cholera menace.

The necessity of the bodies to be buried or burnt immediately to prevent cholera spread to other areas has received a set-back following the refusal of the tribals to perform the last rite putting the administration in a bind.

The tribals, mostly Kondh' and Soura, are faithful to the evil spirit' that damaged their health and they attributed the present situation to badibudi duma' who they believe has risen from its grave to take away tribals.

The report that at least 20 relatives, who attended the funeral of those killed in cholera in the past week in distant places like the Borrigumma, Kundra and Nandapur areas has further strengthened the tribals' belief of the evil spirit.

A District official posted at Dasmantpur said ''We are requesting the tribals to perform the funeral immediately but they are delaying for their own belief'.

Orissa Assembly Deputy Speaker Prahalad Dora visited some parts of Damantpur area yesterday and requested the administration to undertake the last rite of victim in case their relatives refused to do so.

The officials, however, maintained that their intervention in disposing of the bodies would go again the tribal rights.

UNI