Personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) helped carry the bier of an elderly woman to the cremation ground in a remote village, Uttarakhand, as there were no young men left in the village, local residents said.
Jhupa Devi, a resident of Tadigam village near the Indo-Nepal border, passed away at the age of 100 on Wednesday, according to her family.
Her body had to be carried nearly 3 km to the crematorium located on the banks of the Kali River. However, no young men were available in the village as most had migrated to other places in search of work.
Bhupendra Chand, an elderly villager, said there were no young men left to perform the ritual, forcing residents to seek help from SSB personnel. He said the security force stepped in to help carry Jhupa Devi’s body to the crematorium.
Jhupa Devi’s 65-year-old son, Ramesh Chand, said that following a request from villagers, two officers and four jawans from the SSB border outpost near Tadigam were deputed for the funeral.
He said the SSB personnel not only carried the body from the house to the cremation ground but also transported firewood and assisted in performing the last rites. Ramesh Chand said only four elderly men currently live in the village, as most young men have moved to cities to earn a 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," he said. He added that the number of families has dropped from 37 around 20 years ago to just 13 now, with only about 50 residents remaining.
Bhupendra Chand said the village still does not have a proper paved road. He added that wild animals frequently damage crops, fruit trees and vegetables. Although villagers built a dirt road in 2019, vehicles are still unable to reach the village using it.
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