Families worshipping at seven Roman Catholic churches in Thane have been asked to exhume bodies of relatives buried at the 'Three Petrol Pump' graveyard for more than two years and shift the remains to above ground concrete niches to allow fresh burials in the space-squeezed burial ground.
Impact on Parishioners
The directive from the cemetery management will affect hundreds of graves. Parishioners are shocked at the request as the process of transferring human remains could be traumatic for the families involved. The families have been asked to take bodies to cemeteries in Mumbai till sufficient space is created in the graveyard after exhumation of remains from old burials. There are also concerns that transferring human remains from one city to another will require permissions from the police and municipal corporation. However, the cemetery management has clarified that the remains have to be transferred to small niches in the same premises.
Cemetery Management’s Stand
The notice to shift the remains was given by Father Jerome Lobo, parish priest and managing trustee of St John the Baptist Church, Jambli Naka, Thane, which administers the cemetery. Lobo said conditions at the cemetery are 'crucial' because of incessant rains that has caused water logging. He said that the graves cannot be reused cyclically, as they traditionally were, because bodies have not decomposed. Lobo has asked the churches to stop sending requests for new burials. "Graves are not available for burials; we cannot accommodate burials presently," said Lobo.
Shortage of Burial Space
Thomas Joseph, member of the parish pastoral council of Our Lady of Mercy Church, one of the churches affected by the order, said that the number of churchgoers in Thane has increased because of the development of new residential areas, but the burial space has not increased.
"Several plots reserved for burial grounds are encroached upon and one plot in Ghodbunder Road earmarked for a multi-faith cemetery is yet to be handed over to the community," said Joseph.The shortage of burial space is so acute that parishioners of Our Lady of Mercy Church buried a 95-year-old former armyman in a vacant plot next to the church in 2019 in an act of protest. The plot is reserved for a cemetery, according to the community but it is not legal to use the plot for burials. "There are at least two funerals every week at our church. Most families will find it difficult and expensive to transport bodies to Mumbai. Conditions in the cemetery are bad. Bones are being stored in gunny bags after exhumation so that fresh burials can take place. In many cases, the remains are exhumed without informing families. My uncle from Mangalore who visited the cemetery for a funeral was shocked at the conditions," said Melwyn Fernandes, a member of the church.
Burial vs. Cremation Debate
In the west, where cities face a similar shortage of burial space, families are increasingly opting for cremations. However, the religious orthodox in India do not look at cremation as an option. 'People believer that is is necessary to be buried if they are to go to heaven. They look at cremation as a Hindu custom. During the covid epidemic, there was anger when bodies of Christians were cremated," Fernandes added.
