Kerala: Souls of the dead can't rest in peace

KOZHIKODE: The dead who are given tearful farewells by their kith and kin face roadblocks in their journey into eternity due to the shrinking spaces in many places to bury or cremate them. This is especially so in many Malabar districts where the poor lack the proverbial six feet of land for their final tryst with destiny due to the apathy of the authorities.  Though the rules stipulate that there should be at least one public crematorium in a panchayat, most of them in Malabar do not have it. Of the existing ones, some are not functional forcing the relatives of the dead to go to far-off places to cremate them.

Coupled with religious inhibitions and other factors, many people do not permit a public crematorium near their land, say the authorities. The Hindu Aikyavedi that has taken up the issue of lack of public crematoriums in Malabar says that they were facing resistance from the panchayats and municipalities being ruled by Indian Union Muslim League, giving the issue a communal colour.

Recently, the inmates of Chozhiyamkunnu Dalit colony, near Manjeri, took out a protest march to the court premises in Manjeri with the body of Nadichi, 75, when some neighbours blocked the way to their crematorium. The colony residents demanded a public crematorium for the Dalits who do not have land to bury or cremate their dead. Mr P.G. Upendran, the BJP's only councillor in Manjeri municipality, said that the issue had not been resolved ever since they raised it in 2014. 

"The tahsildar held a meeting of the colony residents and members of Chozhiyamkunnu Smasana committee on Monday to discuss the issue of a public crematorium. Funds have been sanctioned by the municipality and the revenue department has also cleared the land," said Mr Upendran. Two land owners offered to give land for the purpose. A final decision will be taken at a meeting to be held by September-end," said Mr Upendran.  There are 45 families depending on 15 cents of land at the burial ground donated during the period of Zamorins in Manjeri. The last meeting decided to acquire two feet on each side for the road to the land.

The Kottakkal Assembly constituency in Malappuram, Kuttippuram, Marakkara, Valanchery, Irimbiliyam and Ponmala panchayats and Kottakkkal municipality do not have public crematoriums. Though there is a waste treatment plant at Myladi, no portion of this could be turned into a crematorium due to the apathy of the municipality authorities, say residents. However, municipal chairman K.K. Nasser says that the problem was concerning land acquisition and that there was nothing communal about it.

"People are not ready to give their land for a crematorium or burial place. There were protests even from some Muslim families when there was an expansion plan for the burial land of a mosque. Once the land is ready, the municipality will install a public crematorium," said the chairman. A row had erupted in nearby Thennala panchayat where the public burial land measuring 53 cents was shared by Perumanna and Ozhoor panchayats. Recently, four cents of land was acquired by the panchayat for the water tanks of Jalanidhi project reducing the burial land to 49 cents. Locals say that they would be denied central government funding if the land area is less than 50 cents.

Tirurangadi MLA P.K. Abdu Rabb said that he was unaware of such a situation. Alterations would be made in the plan for a project so that central government funding is not lost, he said. "Religious issues are sensitive and we cannot let that happen in our region. We will look into it and do the needful without affecting the harmony of the people," said the MLA. The Mavoor Road crematorium in Kozhikode is, however, facing the threat from real estate mafia, said Mr N.P. Radhakrishnan, an activist who bats for public burial grounds for the poor. "Poor people are suffering as there are none to raise their voice for them," he added.