Village custom prevents burial of accident victims

SHILLONG: In a case of clash between customary and religious beliefs, three out of the five villagers killed in the Mawsynram road accident on Monday, were cremated instead of burial though they were Christians. The headman of Dewsaw, M. Niangmih admitted that the bodies of accident victims from the village were not allowed to be brought to their homes in the village and they were also not buried but cremated in the periphery of the village.
He cited a tradition of the village as the reason since the victims of accidents or other unnatural deaths were always cremated.
The bodies of Sillamery Katrai (52), Nancy Laitthma (38) and 12-year-old girl Ilawanpynshailang Laitthma – all from Dewsaw were cremated on Tuesday.
However, the relatives of Aitildabon Jeengaph (70) who is also from the same village took the body to Mawprem and her funeral was held on Wednesday at the cemetery of Mawlai Nongkwar Presbyterian Church.