Kathmandu: Christians have no right to a cemetery
Kathmandu (AsiaNews) -
Christian communities in Kathmandu are being forced to bury their dead outside
official cemeteries. Local sources told AsiaNews
that "since the government has banned the construction of a cemetery near
the Hindu shrine of Pashupatinath, Christians and other religious minorities in
the country must perform their funeral rites in forests, near rivers, away from
population centres and places under the control of Hindu radicals."
Two years ago, city authorities decided to "protect" the Hindu temple
of Pashupatinath from the presence of other religions, preventing Nepalis from other
religious groups from carrying out their funeral rites near the sanctuary.
"It was decided to
protect the sacredness of Hindu land," said Sushil Nahata, a member of the
Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT). "In some areas, cemeteries were expanding
in an unregulated manner. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure
that Christians are given specific and separate areas."
As a result of government action, religious minorities in the Kathmandu Valley
found themselves forced to bury their dead in hidden places, far from
population centres, with the risk of desecration by some Hindu groups.
Between April and May 2011, members of the Christian community in the capital went
on a hunger strike that lasted for 39 days. This led to the establishment of a 16-member
committee, which includes the minister for Peace and Reconciliation, the minister
of Culture and Tourism as well Christian leaders, whose task is to find a
solution to the dispute.
However, in spite of the pressure from the religious minority, Nepali authorities have always preferred to stall or when they did give something, it was always very little.
Indeed, Culture Minister Ram Kumar Shreshatha noted that "the government is very close to granting the Christian community a burial ground," but so far the deadline set by the Committee has come and gone with nothing done.
"If promises prove untrue, Christians (who make up 1 .4 per cent of the Nepali population) will be forced to launch a new wave of nationwide protests," said a still hopeful C.B. Gahatrai.
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