Ambala village ‘divided in death’ no longer after HC Directive

Haryana Social Aspects of state

29-Jan-21

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Panjokhra village in Ambala district is not divided in death after all.
Just about 8 km from Ambala, the village has five cremation grounds purported to be belonging to different castes since inhabitation — a claim the Punjab and Haryana High Court dubbed as splitting up of society.
Less than two months after the HC observations, the gram panchayat concerned has assured the Bench of “smooth and peaceful funeral of each and every community of the village in any of the five cremation yards”.
The Bench of Justice Jaswant Singh and Justice Sant Parkash Gram was also told that the gram panchayat has further resolved to take strict social and legal action against any offender.
The Bench was told that an emergency meeting was convened by the gram panchayat on December 30, 2020. A resolution was passed wherein the gram panchayat took the responsibility of removing any possible trouble or hindrance arising in cremation of the people of any community.
The matter was brought to the HC notice after Jaswant Kumar (76) and seven other villagers claimed that Brahmin, Sikhs and backward classes were having separate cremation grounds in the area.
In a status report placed before the Bench during the resumed hearing of the case, it was stated that all five cremation yards were in there for over 40 to 50 years prior to the existence of the present gram panchayat and were being used by the residents irrespective of their caste, creed or sect and none of the inhabitants of the village has ever been restrained to use the yard for cremation of the bodies.