burying the dead

When the world was welcoming a new dawn of the New Year in January 2015, more than 100 corpses, many of them children, were found washed up in a shallow tributary of the River Ganges. Reports said the bodies were of people who were dumped in the river or buried on the banks after their families could not afford a proper cremation [1], [2] ,[3] ,[4]

Immediate concerns were raised by authorities where emphasis was given to hazardous environment conditions caused by these dead bodies. The National Mission for Clean Ganga has identified the water cremated dead bodies as one of the major source of Pollution Threat[5]. In July 2014, the the Ganga Rejuvenation Department allotted a whopping Rs. 2037 crore for the river's clean up. Yet, no one really spoke or thought of the grass root issue of poor families suffering with material poverty, unable to afford the burials. Environment seem to have taken an extreme precedence over human dignity in the light of the “ecological un-balance” caused due to organic waste, sewage, industrial waste, trash, polyethylene, cans, clothes, food and human dead bodies and animal carcasses. 

Treating “human dead bodies” as “Pollution Threat” presents a very narrow view of human dignity, even contrary within Hindu context, where cremation is much more than "disposing of the remains.” It is at the core and heart of Antima Sanskara, with richer symbolic and spiritual meaning.

In Israel, to be deprived of burial was seen as a horrible evil (Ps 79:3), which was part of the punishment with which the wicked were threatened (1 Kgs 14:11; Jer 22:18-19). So, it was a work of piety and pious practice in Judaism. The book of Ben Sirach (Sir 7:33; 38:16) and Tobit provides the relevant witness to this practice:

“In the days of Shalmane′ser I performed many acts of charity to my brethren. I would give my bread to the hungry and my clothing to the naked; and if I saw any one of my people dead and thrown out behind the wall of Nin′eveh, I would bury him. And if Sennach′erib the king put to death any who came fleeing from Judea, I buried them secretly. For in his anger he put many to death. When the bodies were sought by the king, they were not found.” (Tobit 1:16-18).

This text carries a deeper meaning as reflected by St. Thomas Aquinas, because “it does concern the deceased what is done with his body: both that he may live in the memory of man whose respect he forfeits if he remain without burial, and as regards a man’s fondness for his own body while he was yet living, a fondness which kindly persons should imitate after his death. It is thus that some are praised for burying the dead as Tobias, and those who buried our Lord” (Summa Theoligica, II-II, q 32, a.2, ad 1).

The key to understand this work of mercy is to look at Christ’s own burial and the work of “Christ’s rising from the grave, to them who are in grace, hope is given of rising again through Him, according to John 5:25-28” (Summa, III, q. 51, 1)

Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.[6] 

[1] 100 bodies recovered from Ganga, Centre seeks info from UP govt. Read more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/100-bodies-recovered-from-Ganga-Centre-seeks-info-from-UP-govt/articleshow/45888140.cms 

[2] Skeletons, decayed bodies surface in India's holiest river. Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/15/asia/ganges-corpses-india/ 

[3] More than 100 bodies recovered from India's Ganges 14 Jan 2015. Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-30808745 

[4] More than 100 bodies, including those of women and children, are found washed up along India’s holy River Ganges as families struggle to pay for cremations. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2910274/More-100-bodies-including-women-children-washed-India-s-holy-River-Ganges-families-struggle-pay-cremations.html#ixzz46fqUUmLL  

[5] The National Mission for Clean Ganga, Pollution Thread. Read more: http://nmcg.nic.in/pollution.aspx 

[6] CCC, 364.