Ludhiana village deters tenants from cremating bodies in village sans permission

A row erupted in Sahnewal Khurd village after the panchayat deterred tenants from cremating the bodies of their kin within the village limits without taking prior permission. A hoarding conveying the diktat has also been installed near the cremation ground here.

The matter came to light when Karnail Singh, 58, a resident of Sahni village, had taken his wife’s body to the common cremation ground in Sahnewal Khurd on May 13 for her last rites. The village panchayat denied him permission to go ahead with the cremation following which the body was taken to Sahnewal in a tractor trailer.

The panchayat, meanwhile, justified the diktat, stating that the decision was taken with a view to deter crime incidents. They claimed that allowing cremations without a check will encourage anti-social elements, who may try to cremate the bodies of their kin, friends or victims after murder incidents here.

They also said that in some cases it was observed that proper procedure was not followed in cremation rituals carried out by tenants.

Rajinder Singh, husband of Sarpanch Jasbir Kaur, said the panchayat has taken the decision as they found that some don’t follow the rituals. The tenants can cremate the bodies of their dead family members after their landlord takes the responsibility, he said.

When contacted, Sahnewal station house officer sub-inspector Balwinder Singh said the panchayat has taken the decision unanimously and asked people to cremate the bodies only after informing the panchayat. “Some villagers have opposed the decision but we are trying to resolve the matter,” the SHO said.