SHILLONG, Feb 26: The Seng Khasi Seng Kmie and Sein Raij on Friday asked the state government to address the issue of traditional bodies such as village dorbar or dorbar shnong resisting the allotment of space for cremation ground or issuing of NOC for construction of an environment-friendly crematorium.
The Seng Khasi Seng Kmie and Sein Raij had shared their grievances during the open meeting convened by the Community and Rural Development (C&RD) Department held at the Yojana Bhavan here.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, Sein Raij Jowai president OR Challam said that they are facing problems in constructing an eco-friendly crematorium due to the reluctance of the traditional heads to issue a NOC.
He said that Sein Raij had sought NOC from the Rangbah Shnong of Mynsoo village to construct the crematorium that was jointly funded by the local MLA and the Shillong Lok Sabha member.
“We had even petitioned to the Deputy Commissioner of West Jaintia Hills to intervene in this matter. But we are yet to get the NOC,” he said.
Challam further said that they had agreed to provide the concept for the crematorium to the state government, adding that the Sein Raij Jowai had in 2011 signed a memorandum of understanding with the government in this connection.
He said the state government had even funded the construction of 20 environment-friendly crematoriums according to the design and concept of the Sein Raij Jowai. “But the state government stopped the funding for this project in 2016,” he added.
Challam said the crematorium designed by the Sein Raij Jowai is economically viable and not time-consuming. “It will cost around Rs 33 lakh,” he said.
The Sein Raij Jowai president said land is easily available in the Jaintia Hills region and the NOC is the only hurdle before the construction of the crematorium.
Availability of land, though, is an issue for the Seng Khasi Seng Kmie, whose president Donkupar Dkhar said resistance to allotting space was for cremation ground was unfortunate. “We need space for 191 cremation grounds,” he said.
He pointed out there are many cremation grounds that have existed since time immemorial. “There is opposition now because of houses that have come up near these cremation grounds,” he said.
Dkhar said there was opposition in 2017 to the cremation of the body of an elder of the Seng Khasi in Mylliem since it was claimed to be a residential area.
Principal Secretary of C&RD, Sampath Kumar said he would be submitting a report to the state government after compiling the views and suggestions made during the open meeting as directed by the high court.
The Meghalaya High Court had recently directed the C&RD Department to convene the meeting on February 26 in order to resolve the issue of the lack of cremation ground for the people belonging to Seng Khasi/Niam Tynrai/Niam Tre faith residing across the state.
The court had also directed the department to issue a public notice for the said meeting for wide circulation. It also directed the department to look into the grievances of the petitioners as well as others who may be present in the meeting and after giving an adequate opportunity of hearing to all concerned shall render a decision in the matter supported with cogent reasons.
The court had passed its directions in the petition filed by Phidingstar Khongsit through advocate N. Syngkon, who had alleged that people belonging to the Seng Khasi faith after the death of their family members have to approach the court for space for cremation.
The petitioner had contended that he had filed the petition in the public interest of the people belonging to Seng Khasi/Niam Tynrai faith in Meghalaya and had sought directions to the state to provide or allot adequate space for use as cremation ground or crematorium.
