The next time you walk near a crematorium late in the night and tremble like a leaf, remember Nimmala Rama Naidu, the Telugu Desam Party MLA, who represents Palakollu constituency in Andhra Pradesh. Naidu slept in a crematorium in Palakollu town some days ago to drive away fear of ghosts among construction workers involved in the modernisation of a crematorium in his hometown.
Naidu, who had his dinner at the crematorium, slept on a foldable cot there for three continuous nights! Some months ago, the MLA got Rs 3 crore sanctioned by the Chandrababu Naidu-led state government to construct a new crematorium in Palakollu. But, to his dismay, no contractor was available to take up the task even after a tender was floated. So, Naidu, on his own, got a contractor, who came with some workers. It so happened that one night, some of workers saw a burnt cadaver, got frightened, and all of them ran away. This ultimately forced Naidu to sleep in the crematorium for three nights to end fear of ghosts.
Said Naidu to THE WEEK, “After I slept there, around 50 workers returned to resume the construction. I hope more people will join in the next few days. What is sad is that even today people believe in ghosts and such superstitions. A worker told me that he was scared working at the crematorium as he feared ghosts will come at night and haunt his family at his home.”
Naidu said CM Naidu had sanctioned Rs 10 lakh to each MLA in Andhra Pradesh to beautify the crematoriums in his or her constituency. “Of this, the government will provide Rs 7 lakh, and Rs 3 lakh the locals would contribute. But, except the TDP MLAs in the state, nobody else is taking it up seriously,” said Naidu.
The beautification of the graveyard in Palakollu town will finish in a month’s time. “Workers have started coming regularly now. I will try to build many more crematoriums in my constituency and beautify the existing ones.”
Naidu wants MLAs and MPs across the country to create awareness about the plight of crematoriums in the manner that he has. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already praised Naidu. Said Vijayan, “Naidu is a crusader against superstition. His efforts should attract national attention because this is a fight against foolish rituals and rampant superstition.”
Many cities in the country have no space left for graveyards and crematoriums. Some of the existing crematoriums are badly managed. Minimum facilities like bathrooms, borewells and lighting are unavailable. A survey by an international organisation revealed that around 500kg of wood are required to cremate a body as per Hindu rituals in many parts of the country. Administrative bodies in north Indian towns have started encouraging the use of cow dung, instead of wood, to perform the last rites. Though there are newer technologies like electric and LPG-based crematoriums in many towns and cities, majority of the people prefer firewood-based crematoriums.
Said Bandaru Dattatreya, former Union minister and BJP MP, to THE WEEK, “All crematoriums should be allotted to NGOs, and should have a proper functioning office and staff. It is the duty of the local bodies to make sure that crematoriums are properly managed. Most crematoriums in the country don’t have proper sitting arrangements. Crematoriums should be filled with plants and trees. Even women should start coming to crematoriums.”
He said in many states, land allotted for crematoriums are being encroached. “I have attended many funerals in my life and have seen people face difficulties in crematoriums. More so, in urban areas. There are nobody to help them. We cannot afford to ignore the condition of crematoriums and graveyards in the country. The Union and the state governments have nothing much to do in this case. The onus is on the corporations and the local authorities,” he said.
Dattatreya’s son, Bandaru Vaishnav, 21, died of a massive stroke after having dinner at his home in Hyderabad in May this year. He was a third year MBBS student.