Kaup: Dalits protest unavailability of crematory

Kaup: Tense situation prevailed in and around the Ucchila gram panchayat today after many dalits protested the non-availability of cremation grounds for them to perform the funeral rites of their dead.

A dalit elder, Shankar died today at Bada village and because they could not cremate him at the public crematory in Ucchila, his dead body was brought to the gram panchayat office and a funeral pyre was set up in front of the office to perform Shankar’s funeral there.

Only a certain community allegedly uses the public crematory and dalits are barred from using it although it belongs to the government.

The Dalit Sangharsha Samiti has fervently has demanded a crematory for themselves and alleges that lakhs of rupees have been sanctioned for it but the district administration has still not built a crematory for them.