Moga death: Forced ritual to suppress issue

Amid tight security, the whole village gathered to witness the cremation.

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‘It seemed as if the cremation was a task that had to be undertaken.;

The last rites of 13-year old Arshdeep Kaur were performed at the cremation ground of Landeke village in Moga at 8.30 pm Sunday.

Amid tight security, the whole village gathered to witness the cremation. An uneasy silence prevailed, broken only by sounds of weeping.

Shinder Kaur, the injured mother of Arshdeep, was brought to the cremation ground on a stretcher trolley. Sukhdev Singh lit the pyre of his daughter.

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The voices of protesters soon broke out with slogans of ‘Badal sarkar murdabad’ and ‘Badal sarkar khaa gayi kudi nu’ (Badal government ate our daughter).

“This is not a cremation. We did not bid a proper goodbye to the village’s daughter. It was a forced ritual to suppress the matter. Never before have we had a cremation after sunset. In fact, for the first time we saw dim lamps at the cremation ground,” said Gurpreet Singh, a villager.

“No prayers were said for her soul’s peace. It seemed as if the cremation was a task that had to be undertaken,” said another villager Gurtej.

Divya Goyal

Divya Goyal is a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Ludhiana (Punjab). She is widely recognized for her human-interest storytelling and in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues in the region. Professional Profile Experience: With over 13 years in journalism, she joined The Indian Express in 2012. She previously worked with Hindustan Times. Education: A gold medalist in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi. Core Beats: She covers a diverse range of subjects, including gender issues, education, the Sikh diaspora, heritage, and the legacy of the Partition. She has also reported on minority communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Awards and Recognition Divya has earned significant acclaim for her sensitivity toward gender and social disparities: Laadli Media Award (2020): For her investigative report "Punjab: The Invisible Drug Addicts," which exposed the gender disparity in treating women addicts. Laadli Media Award (2023): For a ground report on the struggles of two girls who had to ride a boat to reach their school in a border village of Punjab. Signature Style Divya is known for "humanizing the news." Rather than just reporting on policy, she often focuses on the individuals affected by it—such as students dealing with exam stress, farmers struggling with diversification, or families impacted by crime. Her work often bridges the gap between West (Pakistan) and East (India) Punjab, exploring shared heritage and common struggles. X (Twitter): @DivyaGoyal_ ... Read More

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