SHILLONG: The Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills P S Dkhar has identified a place for the cremation site of the Seng Khasi, Mylliem.
The site at Iew Mylliem Rim was approved by the Seng Khasi Mylliem
As per the earlier direction of the High Court of Meghalaya , Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills District, placed the report before the Court on Thursday annexing certain photographs. The matter has been settled between the parties amicably and a suitable site was provided to the Seng Khasi Mylliem for use as cremation ground
It may be mentioned that the residents of Mylliem belonging to Niam Khasi religious faith were facing difficulty in cremating the dead because there was no cremation ground and no cremation facilities for them in Mylliem and they faced stiff opposition from village authorities and other village people.
They were using a plot of land meant for cremation, but persons who are respondents in the present case for the reasons best known to them, came and dismantled the cremation site, which compelled the petitioner, Seng Khasi Mylliem, East Khasi Hills represented by its president Arwel Rynjah to approach the Court.
The court of single Judge SR Sen directed the Deputy Commissioner to demarcate the area proposed in the report for the crematorium and to fence it or take other necessary steps to develop and make it properly functional within five months.
However, the court disagreed that the crematorium as proposed in the Mylliem village will be used for cremation of only the deceased members of the Seng Khasi Mylliem. The court directed that anybody belonging to the indigenous faith and from any locality who needs to use the crematorium, can use it.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on those respondents who had disrespected the Constitution of India
The court further ordered that the respondents will not disturb the petitioner in any manner or encroach in the land already proposed and allotted to the petitioner.
Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills District was also further directed to see that nobody disturbs the petitioner in the village and to extend assistance and help as and whenever requested. The Judge further observed that it is very sad that even after death, “we are fighting over our faith, caste and religion. Do the people of this country want to say that after death, somebody will go to heaven or somebody will go to hell; nobody knows that. My humble belief is that there are not two or three Gods, God is only one”.
Another example cited by the court is that “if the blood of a Khasi, Bengali and Nepali or any other person is mixed together, no science has established any methodology to distinguish the blood whether it belongs to a Khasi, a Bengali or a Nepali and it is an undisputed fact that the blood of all human beings is red, no matter what faith, caste or religion he or she belongs to, so why so much difference.”
The court observed that it is high time that society should wake up and the time has come to make the people aware about their fundamental duties, specifically, Clause h of Article 51A which speaks about humanity. “I further mention that no person can practice religion or become spiritual, until and unless he or she becomes a good human being because humanity comes first, then religion”, the judge said.
