PAKISTAN: No Cremation Site for Septugenarian Woman

LAHORE (The Daily Times), June 2, 2006: The final journey of a 70-year-old Hindu woman who died in an old-age home on Tuesday, has been delayed thanks to bureaucratic apathy, the community's indifference and lack of cremation grounds in Lahore. Radha was living in a senior citizens' home of the Punjab Social Welfare Department for the last three years died in Mayo Hospital on May 30. The Hindu community, the Social Welfare Department, the Mayo Hospital - none wants to take the responsibility to cremate Radha who had no relatives. Officials say they are "unaware" of Radha's death. Lahore's Sikh community and a local NGO are ready to cremate the body, but want the government to say that it has "no objection", the Daily Times newspaper said in a report from Lahore. South Asia Partnership (SAP), an NGO, said it was willing to make arrangements for the cremation provided Radha's autopsy report was finalised and placed on record. Lahore had 11 cremation grounds before 1947 has none today. Cremation is an expensive ritual and requires at least 800 kg of wood and two canisters of ghee. By Rana Kashif Daily Times All Rights Reserved