Villagers in Odisha boycott anganwadi over appointment of Dalit employee

An anganwadi in Odisha’s Kendrapara district has not been functioning for nearly three months after residents stopped sending children allegedly due to the appointment of a Dalit woman, Sharmistha Sethy, as a helper-cum-cook.

The 20-year-old graduate claimed that villagers started boycotting the centre at Nuagaon under Ghadiamal gram panchayat in Rajnagar block soon after her appointment on November 20, 2025. “They are also not collecting free food items like sattu (flour made from roasted gram) and eggs for children. My family is very poor. I got this job after much hardship. I want to become a teacher, but no one listened to my repeated appeals,” she said.

Ms. Sethy claimed that the boycott was rooted in caste prejudice. “They are not sending their children because I am a Dalit. Society has advanced in many ways, but if we continue to cling to casteism, we cannot progress,” she said.

An anganwadi worker corroborated Ms. Sethy’s account, saying 20 children are enrolled at the centre but none of them are attending it now. “We went door to door, but no one is willing to send their children,” the worker said.

‘Exploring solution’

The Kendrapara district administration on Tuesday deputed a team of officials to assess the situation and explore possible solutions.

“I held talks with the villagers, but they are not citing any specific reason for keeping their children away. They are not openly attributing the issue to the helper’s caste,” Child Development Project Officer Deepali Mishra said.

Ms. Mishra said the post of helper-cum-cook was advertised in 2024 and again in 2025. Eligible villagers were encouraged to apply, she said. “Ms. Sethy was the lone applicant. We are making efforts to ensure that the children return so that their pre-school education is not affected. The final decision will be taken by higher authorities,” she said.

Ms. Sethy, who receives monthly remuneration of ₹5,000, is tasked with cooking meals, assisting in play-based learning activities, and helping with health monitoring.

None of the villagers were willing to comment on the issue.