MAPUSA: Tension prevailed at Bastora on Sunday as the family members of a COVID deceased were denied permission to perform the last rites at the crematorium “forcing” them to cremate the body at Mapusa.
The incident occurred when the relatives of the deceased, a resident of Bastora, who succumbed to COVID infection, were denied permission to perform the last rites at the crematorium compelling them to cremate the body at Mapusa.
The family members of the victim blamed the panchayat for denying them to perform the last rites.
“The panchayat is responsible for denying basic human rights. The person who died was voter of Bastora Panchayat,” Vinayak Nanoskar, president of Hindu Mahasabha, Goa unit said.
Sources informed that a similar incident occurred around 12 days ago, when another Bastora resident who succumbed to COVID was denied cremation at the village crematorium.
Condemning the incident, Goa Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Amarnath Panjikar demanded that the government should take immediate steps to ensure that no one is denied cremation.
“It is our duty to give respectful farewell to all those who succumb to COVID. No one should obstruct the final rites of any COVID victims. It is unfortunate what happened in Bastora on Sunday. The government must take immediate steps to ensure that such incidents don’t repeat in the State,” Panjikar demanded.
Bastora sarpanch Ranjit Usgaonkar held a meeting of panchas and locals on Sunday to discuss the incident.
At the meeting, it was decided to appoint a new committee to ensure that no one is deprived of final rites in the future.
