Expanding the scope of its hearing for cremation of the dead belonging to the indigenous faith, the Meghalaya High Court said there is also a need for new areas to be used as cemeteries for the Christian community.
A division bench of Chief Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh said that various Christian denominations are also facing similar difficulties in burying their dead.
“A cemetery controlled by one denomination is not allowing dead bodies of persons belonging to another denomination to be interred in the same cemetery,”
According to the court the result is that in various regions of the State, a long distance has to be covered by members of the bereaved family to perform the last rites of the dead.
Earlier, Amicus Curiae advocate N. Syngkon submitted before the court that a way has been found for members of the Khasi and Jaintia communities to share a crematorium amicably with their Hindu brethren by allocation of separate portions of a crematorium to each of these communities and by grant of right to each community to erect a separate pyre in a designated part of a crematorium for cremating their dead.
The court also directed that the three District Councils—Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and Garo Hills Autonomous District Council—are to be made party respondents.
“The Registrar General of this Court will transmit copies of the writ petition to the Chairman of each of these Councils,” the court directed.
The Court also directed the Amicus Curiae to hold similar meetings with the concerned District Magistrates and members of the community to resolve the problem faced by the Christian community and file a report.
It also directed the state to file a report to indicate whether it has any existing or contemplated proposal of increasing the number of cemeteries for members of the Christian community and to file it June 9, 2025.
