PITHORAGARH: Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel helped carry the bier of an elderly woman to the crematorium as there were no young men in her village in Uttarakhand, locals said.
Jhupa Devi from Tadigam village located on the Indo-Nepal border died at the age of 100 on Wednesday, her family members said.
Her body had to be taken to the crematorium 3 km away on the banks of the Kali River, but there were no young men available in the village all of who have migrated in search of jobs.
Bhupendra Chand, an elderly resident of the village, said, "There were no young men in the village, and therefore we had to seek the help of SSB personnel to carry Jhupa Devi's body to the crematorium."
Jhupa Devi's 65-year-old son, Ramesh Chand, said that at the request of the villagers, two officers and four jawans were sent from the SSB border outpost near Tadigam for the task.
He said that the SSB personnel not only carried the elderly woman's body from her house to the crematorium but also carried firewood for the cremation and helped in completing the last rites.
Ramesh Chand said that currently, only four elderly men live in his village, while the young men have migrated to cities in search of livelihood.
"The village is severely affected by migration because there are no means of livelihood in the village, and almost all the young men have left."
Twenty years ago, there were 37 families in the village, which has now reduced to only 13, he said, adding that only 50 people live in the village.
Bhupendra Chand said, "There is no paved road to the village. Wild animals destroy our crops, trees and vegetables."
A dirt road was built by villagers in 2019 but vehicles can not use it to reach the village, he added.