RAYAGADA: In many parts of Odisha, age-old customs and cultural norms have long dictated who can and cannot enter cremation grounds. Women are often discouraged or even barred from attending the last rites. But in Rayagada town, one woman has challenged these conventions.
Asha Bansika, a Class IV attendant at the district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Rayagada, has taken up the responsibility of performing the final rites of unclaimed and unidentified bodies. In the last three years, the 36-year-old has performed the cremation of more than 200 bodies.
Asha’s venture into this domain of social service has both a personal and professional link. She has herself witnessed the pain and helplessness when social taboos as well as poverty or other circumstances deprive the kin of ensuring a dignified cremation for their near and dear ones. Years ago, when her younger brother passed away, her family struggled to gather enough money for his cremation. The painful memory has not faded.
When she joined the DHH, she discovered another facet, that of the abandoned and unclaimed dead bodies in the hospital. She came across many cases where the bodies of patients, who succumbed to disease or accidents, were left unclaimed in the morgue. She was so moved by the lack of dignified farewell to the dead that she made a promise to do her bit to ensure the final respect through cremation or funeral.
However, performing a cremation is neither simple nor cheap. On an average, it costs around Rs 2,000 for essentials like firewood, flowers, incense sticks, sandalwood, new clothes, ghee, kerosene, etc. While some bodies she receives are fresh, many are in advanced stages of decomposition, making the task physically and emotionally taxing. Still, Asha never stops. A large portion of the expenses comes from her own pocket, supplemented occasionally by her husband T Chinna.
As an outsourced attendant at the DHH, Asha earns a modest Rs 11,500 per month. But she is more than qualified for the job. She holds a diploma in anesthesiology technician and aspires to find a fitting job. She married Chinna in 2012 and settled in Rayagada. Today, she is a mother of a daughter and a son. Her husband, employed as a manager in a private cosmetic company, oversees operations across Koraput and Rayagada. He is her mainstay, supporting her mission both emotionally and financially.
“I got the inspiration as well determination around 15 years ago, when our family struggled to cremate the body of my brother due to financial paucity. Since then, I decided to not let such fate overcome others. After my marriage and getting a job, with the support of my husband and children, I devoted my self to the work,” she says.
Asha keeps a close watch on hospital cases, especially those where patients pass away without family members or where relatives, unable to bear the financial burden, leave the bodies behind. She steps in with a firm belief that everyone deserves a dignified final journey, no matter what the circumstances are.
Balancing her duties at the hospital with her service is not easy. There are days when she spends hours at the cremation ground, adjusting shifts with colleagues and even skipping meals. Just last month, a 50-year-old man from an unknown place died of kidney failure at around 4 am. With no one to claim his body, Asha once again stepped forward. She bore all the expenses and ensured he was cremated.
Beyond performing last rites, she also supports the poor families, who struggle to arrange for the cremation of their deceased kin. She often assists in arranging resources or personally contributes whatever she can.
Her exemplary selfless service has also begun to be noticed and found recognition. People from the society are coming forward to lend their help to her in the noble work. Rayagada MLA Kadraka Appala Swamy and others from the town are contributing materials like firewood. Members of the local community, including social worker and Bajrang Dal district coordinator Sashyajyoti Behera, have publicly acknowledged her dedication.
“Asha continues her humanitarian work despite facing financial hardships of her own. She has never allowed personal struggles to come in the way of helping others. She is not only an inspiration for the society, but also spearheading change in the social midset and practices,” he says.
Asha also looks forward for a permanent job and better salary. “This will not only help me in my home affair but also make me more confident to meet the expenses of cremating the unclaimed dead bodies. I am determined to continue rendering the service and am hopeful that my work will inspire others too,” she says.