BHUBANESWAR: An elderly woman in Odisha's Angul district solemnised the marriage of her 20-year-old widowed daughter-in-law.
The woman identified as Pratima Behera, a former sarpanch of Gobara gram panchayat in Angul district helped her daughter-in-law Lily Behere get remarried. The marriage was held in the presence of villagers at a Jagannath Temple in Talcher area on September 11, family members said.
Pratima's younger son Rashmiranjan had married Lily of Turanga village in February, this year. However, Rashmiranjan died in a coal mine mishap in Bharatpur in July.
Lily was in deep grief and turned speechless following death of her husband, Pratima said. But Pratima counselled Lily and convinced her to re-marry and look forward in life.
"I finally started searching a groom after Lily agreed," she said.
Pratima said she approached her brother Sangram Behera and put-forth the proposal of marriage between Lily and his son Sangram Behera.
"I know my son will not return. The loss is irreplaceable. I could not stand the miseries of my daughter -in-law who is only 20-years-old. She has the right to be happy in life. Therefore, I decided to get my daughter-in-law married," Pratima said.
Lily's newly married husband Sangram Behera said: "My father and other family members have accepted Lily as their daughter-in-law. Why should I have any objection? Rather I am happy."
Social activist Subhasree Das and many other women activists have praised Pratima for her decision to solemnise the marriage of her widowed daughter-in-law.
As a former Sarpanch, Pratima Behera has become an icon of women empowerment in the state, Das said.