She spoke, no one listened: Odisha village bids tearful final farewell to student in Balasore harassment case
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A village in Odisha's Balasore district stood still in mourning on Tuesday as the body of a 20-year-old college student—who had accused her professor of sexual harassment and later attempted suicide by setting herself ablaze—returned home for the last time.Declared dead at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on Monday night after battling severe burn injuries for nearly three days, the second-year student's cremation drew waves of emotion, questions, and anger.Wrapped in white and carried in a coffin, the young woman was brought back to the same streets where she once taught self-defence, performed on stage, and helped organise community outreach activities.'"She had gone to college after Bahuda Yatra and said she would return soon. She promised. But she came back... like this," her mother sobbed, while talking to TOI.Her father, employed at a local government-run women's college, stood quietly beside her. "My daughter was strong. If the investigation had been done properly from the beginning, maybe this wouldn't have happened," he told the news outlet.As the funeral procession wound through the village, locals watched in disbelief, some crying silently, others shouting slogans praising her bravery. 'She spoke up when many would have stayed silent,' one mourner told TOI. 'She deserved support, not silence.'Political leaders, including Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi and several local MLAs, joined the procession along with district officials. The heavy police presence underscored both the sensitivity of the case and the public scrutiny it has drawn.What stung most for those who knew her was the feeling that her courage had gone unheard. Despite her complaints, no meaningful action was taken in time."Why did no one help her? Why was her voice ignored?" a neighbour, Sunil Kar also told TOI. "She dared to speak. But her courage was met with silence."Her brother, holding back tears, added, "No matter how much politics is played now or how loudly people demand justice, what difference will it make?"As the funeral pyre was lit, the crowd fell silent.
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