Odisha caste row ends; children return to anganwadi centre, consume food cooked by Dalit employee

After a three-month closure, the Nuagaon anganwadi centre in Odisha reopened on Monday as children from upper caste families returned to consume food prepared by their Dalit helper, Sharmistha Sethy. Dipali Mishra, Kendrapara CDPO, and Dhruba Charan Sahoo, Rajnagar MLA, were present at the center's reopening. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and was raised in Parliament, with Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, expressing concern about caste discrimination. The matter has been resolved, with villagers vowing to move past their differences.