cremated bodies and drinking this toxic water.
When The Thiruvilwamala Panchayath decided not to
open the crematorium for other than people living in
Thiruvilwamala Panchayath, the Kerala High Court
ruled against it.A division bench comprising chief
justice Ashok Bhushan and justice AM Shaffique said
it cannot be considered as a legally-valid decision and
that such a ban cannot be imposed when the belief
exists that conducting cremation at Ivor Madom as
per Hindu rituals would result in the departed souls to
attain eternal peace, or ‘Moksha’.
The court also said the panchayat can overcome the
environmental pollution and other alleged health
problems faced by the residents by using modern
systems such as electrical crematoriums. The court
has also asked the state government to extend financial
aid for such initiatives by the panchayat.
Around 70-80 bodies used to be brought here from
different places, including from outside Kerala, in
a day. Panchayat’s decision was based on persistent
complaints from residents that waste from the
cremation ground close to Bharathappuzha is
polluting the river and the environment.
The panchayat’s decision was questioned in the court
in a petition filed by lawyers KK Krishnakumar and
C Krishnadas. A petition was filed by the panchayat
also questioning state government’s decision to stay
the ban imposed by the panchayat. Additionally, a
priest associated with the cremation had sought police
protection alleging that cremation is being blocked by
certain persons...
The illegal burial is still continuous because, the court
supports the religious belief of the Hindu community.
The belief can’t be questioned and a community lives
helplessly suffocating the smell of burned corps. And
they dream to have food without the smell of buried
body…
Theyyam 21