Act against those preventing burials over caste: High Court

“It (caste) attaches itself till the person is ultimately cremated. There is a loathsome practice that is prevalent in many villages where persons belonging to the marginalised sections are not even allowed to use the burial ground,” lamented Justice N Anand Venkatesh.

The judge then directed that everyone must be allowed to cremate bodies in the place notified as a burial ground irrespective of the caste or community to which he or she belongs. “If the cremation is prevented by anyone on the ground that the person belongs to a marginalised section, immediate action must be taken in accordance with the law. Only if stringent actions are taken and the perpetrators of such crime are brought to book, such condemnable practices can be brought under control,” the judge directed the government.

The court was hearing a plea moved by D Amirthavalli, a resident of Eripatti village near Pollachi, seeking direction to the authorities to restrain people from a particular community from cremating bodies on a road track that leads to her land.

The government advocate said the roadside burial ground was used by a particular community for a long time, as the dominant communities of that village prevented them from using the notified burial ground.