Chennai (Tamil Nadu): The Madras High Court on Saturday expressed anguish that preventing the cremation or burial of persons belonging to marginalised castes in common burial grounds is still continuing particularly in rural areas.
Even after the death of persons, the caste factor does not leave a person and it continues, observed Justice N Anand Venkatesh, while directing the Tamil Nadu government that "everyone, irrespective of caste and community, should be allowed to cremate dead bodies in the common burial grounds."
The judge made the observations on hearing a petition filed by S Amirthavalli, belonging to Eripatti village near Pollachi in Coimbatore district, seeking a direction to the authorities to prevent particular community people from cremating the dead bodies along the roadside, leading to her farmland.
The government advocate submitted that people belonging to marginalized communities in the village were using the roadside to cremate bodies, as they were not allowed to use the notified burial ground by persons belonging to the dominant community in the village. The government advocate also informed the court that the government had sent letters to the government officials to ensure all the persons irrespective of community and caste for using the crematorium.
Expressing concern, Justice Anand Venkatesh lamented that the caste factor does not leave a person even after death. "The officials concerned should take stern action if the cremation of marginalised persons is prevented by anyone on the burial ground and such persons should be punished according to the law," the Justice noted.
If only stern actions are taken against offenders, such unacceptable activities can be brought under control, the Justice said, ruling that persons belonging to all communities should be permitted to use the notified burial ground in the village.
