5 Cremation Grounds Earmarked For Different Communities 'Division' Of Society: Punjab and Haryana High Court

Noticing that five cremation grounds have been earmarked for different communities in a village situated in the Ambala District, the Punjab & Haryana High Court on Friday (04th December) sought response from the Deputy Commissioner, Ambala with regard to "such divisions of the society". The Bench of Justice Jaswant Singh and Justicr Sant Parkash sought response from a common authority, which would "administer all cremation grounds so as to remove the apprehension of the petitioners that they would not be permitted to avail the benefit of the existing cremation grounds for cremation of members of their communities". The Deputy Advocate General, Haryana, was directed to do the needful. The matter before the Court The Court was hearing the plea of one Jaswant Kumar (76) and seven other villagers who claimed before the Court that Brahmins, Sikhs and Backward Classes had separate cremation grounds in the area (a village in Ambala district). As per the report of The Tribune, the petitioners and other members of the community claimed before the Court that they were left without the right to perform the last rites of departed souls as all five cremation grounds in the village were "community wise". They sought the quashing of an order passed by the Deputy Commissioner (dated September 11), wherein the application of the Petitioners' was rejected in "complete violation of the principles of natural justice", based on the presumption that there was no cremation ground as mentioned in their complaint. The petitioners added that the same stood "illegally demolished" with the help of earth movers. The Counsel appearing for the petitioners sought directions to the Deputy Commissioner and another respondent to restore the cremation ground belonging to them and other residents belonging to the Brahmins and Backward Classes. They prayed that for a direction to respondent nos. 2 and 3 to restore the cremation ground belonging to the petitioners and other residents belonging to Barahmins and Backward Classes. The matter has now been listed for further hearing on 13.1.2021 Case title - Jaswant Singh and others vs State of Haryana and others [CWP No. 20810 of 2020] Click Here To Download Order[Read Order]

5 Cremation Grounds Earmarked For Different Communities 'Division' Of Society: Punjab and Haryana High Court

Sparsh Upadhyay

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