Cremating unclaimed bodies for 18 years in Una

Rajesh Sharma

Advertisement

Una, February 28

A local group of around 12 activists has taken up the humane task of cremating unclaimed and unidentified bodies. The activists have been performing the task for the past 18 years.

The activists under the umbrella of ‘Una Janhit Morcha’ first thought about the noble cause in 2006 when they were at the crematorium during the last rites of their acquaintance Balwinder Goldi’s father. They witnessed that the body on the pyre next to Balwinder’s father was being cremated with worn-out tyres.

Rajiv Bhanot, president of the Una Janhit Morcha, said, “The body of an unidentified person was handed over to the police for cremation. Since the police did not have funds for the cremation, worn-out tyres were. We came to know that the police regularly get to cremate unclaimed bodies, for which there are no funds.”

“At that moment, some of us decided to accord some degree of respect to the human bodies,” said Hari Om Gupta, who is the chairman of the morcha. He said it costs Rs 4,000 for the cremation of the body. He said the cost include expenses of wood, material for the rituals and charges taken by the ‘pandit’.

Gupta said the ashes are kept in a locked room at the crematorium along with information such as date of cremation, date of recovery of the body and gender of the body.

Raj Kumar Pathania, general secretary of the morcha, said, “When 20 to 25 bags of ashes are collected, these are transported to Sati Ghat at Kankhal in Haridwar, where these are immersed as per the Hindu rituals. Morcha representatives pray for the departed soul at Har Ki Pauri, take a holy dip and serve meals to 50 persons in the memory of the deceased.”

Members of morcha Navdeep Kashyap, Dr Subhash Sharma, Shiv Kumar Sambar and Balwinder Goldi said they all contribute money from their own pockets, while help in cash or in the form of other necessary things comes from philanthropists like Chattara resident Jasbir Singh, who resides in the US and is associated closely with the activities of the morcha.

On being asked about the sentiments during the cremation and immersion of ashes, Rajiv Bhanot recalls two occasions when the deceased were pregnant.

“It was painful to perform the last rites of an unborn child. There were three occasions when the deceased were identified within a few days after the cremation and we had the satisfaction of having handed over the ashes to their kin,” he added.