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Hindu loses fight for UK open-air funeral pyre for "good death"
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by israeli.agent | May 8, 2009 at 09:38 am
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In an important ruling that can change the life and (after) death of many Hindus in Britain, a British High Court dismissed an application by a Hindu seeking right to be cremated in an open-air funeral pyre.
As per the British cremation act , the burning of human remains, other than crematorium , is a crimnal offence.
The petitioner, Devender Ghai said that hre respect the Decision of the court, but will appeal further against the ruling.
A devout Hindu lost his High Court battle on Friday for the right to be cremated in Britain on a traditional open-air funeral pyre.
Spiritual healer Baba Davender Kumar Ghai, 70, from Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was challenging a refusal by the local council to allow him to be cremated in accordance with his Hindu beliefs.
Ghai says a pyre is essential to "a good death" and the release of his spirit into the afterlife.
But British law states that the burning of human remains anywhere outside a crematorium is prohibited and Newcastle council had blocked his application on the grounds that it was impractical.
Justice Cranston dismissed his High Court challenge, saying the council's denial was justified, the Press Association reported.
Had the judges had ruled in favour of Ghai, it could have set a precedent for the 560,000 Hindus living in Britain.
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israeli.agent
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (1)
at 11:12 on May 8th, 2009
It's unfortunate for sure, but if those are the laws where he is living, I suppose he really has no choice but to obey them - I'm not trying to be insensitive, but I suppose at this point he doesn't have a choice about it.