Indian Christians seek legal remedy for decent burial

The top court in the western Indian state of Maharashtra has served notices on government officials seeking an explanation for the lack of burial grounds for Christians in Thane district.

The officials have been directed to file their replies on the contention that local Christians lacked sufficient space for burying their dead made in a public interest litigation by Melwyn Fernandes, a member of the Association of Concerned Catholics.

The bench of Chief Justice V.G. Bisht of Bombay High Court in its Jan. 31 order asked the officials to file their affidavits on or before March 11.

Christians in Thane, adjoining the state capital Mumbai, formerly Bombay, are facing a severe lack of burial grounds, though some 10 plots of government land are earmarked for Christian cemeteries, Fernandes told UCA News on Feb. 2.

A right to information query filed by him revealed the reserved plots were located in Kalwa, Kopari, Navpada, Dawale and Daighar under the Thane Municipal Corporation, which had failed to allot them to the community.

Fernandes said these plots were now “either encroached by slum dwellers or handed over to builders, apparently in connivance with the government officials.”

Thane’s Christian population was nearly 182,000 in 2011. It must have doubled now but the burial space has not increased

Christians, he said, approached the local authorities for releasing these reserved plots to the community but to no avail. “I was thus forced to move the high court seeking its intervention,” he said.

Thane city has only three burial grounds. While the two near the church premises are only for parishioners, a common cemetery allows all Christians but is now full.

“Thane’s Christian population was nearly 182,000 in 2011. It must have doubled now but the burial space has not increased,” said Fernandes. “Also, since it is adjoining Mumbai, land prices are very high and it is not possible for the community to buy land for burials.”

Christians in India do not readily opt for cremations, leading to difficult situations.

In March 2019, the desperation for a burial ground took an ugly turn in Thane when a few community members carried out a burial in an open plot without official permission.

The burial upset local residents who filed police complaints that led to the community members being arrested.

Christians across Maharashtra state opposed a government directive to cremate their near and dear ones during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 as a pandemic protocol.

Some Christians in the state, however, successfully challenged the directive in the high court, arguing that was against their faith and practice for generations.

The community in Thane is hoping the high court will consider their latest plea for adequate space to bury the dead.