Damak, Jan. 18: In the absence of any legal provision to regulate the custom of cremation prevaeent in most of the communities of Nepal, it has been felt that environmental and social problems have arisen.
The concerned forest offices and environmental institutions and organisations have expressed concern at the haphazard increase in the practice of burying the dead at public forests and open spaces in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts of eastern Nepal.
Following initiation of the Surung community forest products area and Kankai river west Ratuwamai afforestation project in Jhapa district, the Shrikhala cemetery on both sides of the East-West highway has become visible from Sattasidham, Damak, Lakhanpur, Topgachhi, Pathari, Belbari, Salakpur, Itahari and Dharan.
The dead of the Rai, Limbu, Magar, Tamang, Muslim, Teli and Santhal communites are customarily buried.
As per the custom, a tomb is built high so that nobody’s shadow should fall on it, according to Lal Bahadur Rai of Lakhanpur village.
Local teacher Sujan Rai says that at present religious belief has become distorted. There is something like competition among the families of the dead to construct very big tombs for them.
Project chief of Ratuvamai afforestation project Surendra Raj Bhakta Nepali says that the cemetrey has been a hurdle for the project in achieving its set target.
He says that as it is not proper to say anything to grieving pallbearers when they come with their dead for burial in the forest area, request has been made to the village development committee and the municipalities to reach an understanding to resolve the problem.
But the local vdc and municipalities are avoiding any responsibility stating that the burial of the dead is not within their jurisdiction.
However, chairman of Ward No. 3 of Lakhanur Vdc Kamal Sangraula says that the vdc has set aside ten kattha of land for the construction of burial sites.
The Bhutanese refugees have also aggravated the probem. If a refugee in the community which also buries its dead dies, it is written on the grave, “even if I have died in a foreign country, let my offspring be able to go to their motherland,” according to Hamsesumse community forest products committee.
Though the refugees have the right to follow their customs in the country in which they have taken refugee, international law is silent on the right of refugee to occupy land to construct permanent graves and cemetaries, according lawyer Leela Prasad Sapkota. But they should be allowed to cremate on humanitarian grounds, he adds.
Chief district officer of Jhapa Dilli Ram Regmi says that it is necessary to formulate laws to organise the system of cremation but occupying of government forest land and public sites for burial should not be allowed.
It has been found that intellectuals in the concerned communities are also of the view that the concerned vdcs and municipalities should set aside specific areas for burial.