The first 'open air' cremation in the UK for 72 years took place recently at a secret location in Northumberland. The body of Rajpal Mehat was cremated on a traditional Hindu pyre. The family of Mr Mehat wanted to raise awareness of how traditional Hindu funeral rites are not taken into account by current UK legislation.
At present when a devout Hindu dies in the UK the family are faced with the choice of cremation in a UK crematorium or to repatriate the deceased to India for a traditional Hindu cremation on the banks of The River Ganges. This is obviously a very expensive option. Many families choose to fly the cremated remains to India for immersion in the river following cremation in the UK.
In a statement on the legality of the pyre The Federation of British Cremation Authorities said "The uncontrolled burning of human remains on an open air funeral pyre does not meet any of the environmental controls under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The Federation encourages the police to deal firmly with the situation. "Failure to deal with this matter will undoubtedly open the floodgates for others to risk acting outside the legal provisions for cremation"
To date Northumbria police have not brought charges against any organization or individual with regards to this matter.
A recent report has highlighted the growing shortage of burial space, particuarly in some of our major cities, where
burial plots can now cost in excess of £1,000 as councils charge premium rates for internments. Two major London
boroughs have no new space for burials in their existing cemeteries. This means that families are having to hold
internments in neighbouring boroughs with the cemetery authority charging double or even triple fees for burials.
Pressure due to lack of space has meant that families who require burial are either having to pay to reserve space
or decide upon cremation. Nationally about 30% of people are buried. This may be due to family tradition or religious
beliefs. The Islamic & Greek Orthodox faiths forbid cremation.
The government are looking at a range of proposals to help ease the problem. These include re-using existing graves
where there is no record of ownership & the highly unlikely possibility of burying coffins standing up.
A recent survey by funeral directors found that 63% of UK population have never discussed how they would like their life
to be celebrated with their family. We all find it very hard to talk or think about our own mortality with our nearest
and dearest for fear of upsetting them or a belief that talking about our own death will somehow make it happen.
