Funeral industry clash: the fight for shrouded cremation rights

HEALTH RISKS

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

THE Sanathan Dharma Cremation Society is campaigning for the right to perform traditional shrouded cremations, promising dignified, eco-friendly and affordable funerals for the Indian community.

But funeral directors are pushing back, citing health concerns and business impacts.

We explore both sides of this cultural and economic debate

The society presented the proposal to the Department of Health (DoH) a year ago, with no response to date.

Vish Govindasamy, the society's spokesperson, said the shrouding process was an age-old Indian practice, which would afford average-income and below average households the opportunity to give their loved ones a “dignified, affordable and spiritually inclined” funeral.

“I formed the society in 2008 after I went on a trip to India, and saw how hassle-free and simple funerals were done there. This gave birth to the proposal to provide an alternative to the ‘grand’ funerals which we see today. Shrouding would not replace coffins, but would give people a more cost-effective funeral.

“Funerals have become a grand affair. One would not know whether to laugh or mourn at funerals, with the large posters of the deceased, the photographs of them on vehicles and water bottles, and the fancy hearses and coffins.

“We are proposing a Sanathan Dharma cremation — where the undertaker would still perform the duties of removing the body, keeping it at their mortuary, assisting the family with bathing the body, arranging for the cremation, and conducting the funeral.

“The difference is that the body will be immediately shrouded after bathing, and placed on a wooden sheet. There would be no need for clothes, like a suit or sari, or jewellery, etc.

“This will allow families to cut funeral costs significantly,” he added.