Meghalaya HC directs Govt to submit report on proposal to increase number of cemeteries in the state

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 9, 2025

The Meghalaya High Court on Thursday directed the State to submit a report indicating if there is any proposal of increasing the number of cemeteries for members of the Christian community.

The bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh said, “The State is also directed to file a report to indicate whether it has any existing or contemplated proposal of increasing the number of cemeteries for members of the Christian community.”

The bench while hearing a PIL filed in regards to cremation of persons belonging to Khasi and Jaintia communities as well as those embracing the Hindu religion, throughout the State, decided to enlarge its scope to include the Christian community after taking judicial notice of the information that various denominations of the Christian faith are also facing similar difficulties in burying their dead in cemeteries.

“A cemetery controlled by one denomination is not allowing dead bodies of persons belonging to another denomination to be interred in the same cemetery. The result is that in various regions of the State, a long distance has to be covered by members of the bereaved family to perform the last rites of the dead. There is also similar need for sharing of cemetery and for allocation of new areas to be used as cemeteries for the Christian community,” it said.

The bench has directed the Amicus Curiae N Syngkon to hold similar meetings with the concerned District Magistrates and members of the community to resolve the problem faced by the Christian community and file a report.

In the meantime, we had directed the Amicus Curiae appointed by us to hold meetings with the District Magistrates and representatives of the said communities for arriving at some settlement including sharing a crematorium.

In its previous order dated April 8, the bench had noted the proposal of the government to construct new crematoria in various regions of the State but that would take time.

The Amicus Curiae has also filed a report during the hearing and informed that after holding meetings, a way has been found for members of the Khasi and Jaintia communities to share a crematorium amicably with their Hindu brethren by allocation of separate portions of a crematorium to each of these communities and by grant of right to each community to erect a separate pyre in a designated part of a crematorium for cremating their dead.

Meanwhile, the three autonomous district councils – Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council and Garo Hills Autonomous District Council – have also been made party respondents.