Dignity in death: North Eastern community demands burial ground in Chennai

In most cases, taking the bodies back home is time-consuming and a costly affair.
A relative along with a health worker helps to place the body of a person who died from COVID-19 before cremation. (File Photo| PTI)
A relative along with a health worker helps to place the body of a person who died from COVID-19 before cremation. (File Photo| PTI)

CHENNAI:  Members of the Northeast community living in Chennai say burying loved ones in the city is a herculean task. It takes a lot of effort to find space in Corporation burial grounds.

“Even churches with cemeteries provide such facilities only to members and their families,” Wapang Toshi, President of the Northeast India Welfare Association, told Express. The association has requested the State government to allocate a separate burial ground in the city for the community, similar to the one in New Delhi.

In most cases, taking the bodies back home is time-consuming and a costly affair. Toshi said financial constraints, shipping charges, and lots of paperwork are adding to the woes. Speaking about the 50 per cent concession announced by Air India in 2018 for transporting bodies, Toshi said that unlike private carriers, the national carrier is not well connected with Northeastern states and hence the plea.

He also urged the government to ensure that there is no racial discrimination in public and in workplaces.
The association, consisting of member representatives from eight states, has around 30,000 people living in Chennai and neighbouring districts.

Other requests
◆ Equal pay for equal work in the unorganised sector
◆ More job opportunities in organised sector
◆ Affordable housing facility for workers
◆ Collaboration in education
◆ Cultural exchange programmes

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The New Indian Express
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