By Matters India Reporter
Hyderabad, July 7, 2020: Christian leaders in Telugu region have raised alarm over difficulties faced by a family to find burial place for a nurse who died of Covid-19.
“This is a very alarming issue that needs to be addressed urgently in the community,” Brother Varghese Theckanath, a human rights activist and director of Hyderabad-based Montfort Social Institute, told Matters India.
He was reacting to a July 7 report in The Hindu newspaper about the family of Victoria Jayamani, the head nurse of Government Chest Hospital, who became the first among the nursing staff to succumb to Covid-19.
The 58-year-old woman “could not get the dignity that is reserved for a deceased person,” the newspaper remarked while narrating how Jayamani’s relatives had to “run rom pillar to post” to find burial space for her.
Father Anthonyraj Thumma, spokesperson of the Federation of Telugu Churches, too finds The Hindu report “very alarming” that should be addressed by Christian leaders urgently.
“There was the case of the Doctor in Chennai earlier, and now this case. To all indications these are not isolated. Church leadership needs to have a proactive and credible response,” Father Thumma remarked in the Christian Unity Forum, a WhatsApp group.
The news report said that officials and the government recalled Jayamani’s services and assured all help to the family. However, the relatives were “aghast that they could not provide a decent burial for her.”
Jayamani was not alone in suffering even in death. Families of eight other Covid-19 Christian victims underwent similar ordeal in getting place for burial, The Hindu reported.
The church Jayamani and her relatives attend on Sundays did not help after they came to know she died of Covid-19. “The cemetery at Narayanguda failed to allow the burial. Several other mainline churches with cemeteries attached to them too refused permission,” the newspaper added.
Jayamani’s son-in-law, B. Jakinkanth, said they knocked at the doors of everyone including officials and politicians, but no help came their way. “My mother-in-law gave everything in serving the needy patients and at the end, she was not given the due respect that is reserved for the dead,” he recalled.
The family finally found a government-sanctioned burial ground for Christians at Ahmedguda in Keesara mandal, 20 km from the city.
“Even this piece of land did not come free of cost. The family had to pay 20,000 rupees to conduct the last rites,” those who arranged the last rites on June 27 said.
The newspaper quoted goneh Solomon Raj, secretary of Christian Burial Grounds for Greater Hyderabad, that since the outbreak of the pandemic nine Christians died of Covid-19.
“All the nine families underwent untold misery in performing the last rites,” he said. According to him, three were buried at Dommarapochampally village in Dundigul mandal in a place allotted besides a dump yard for Christian burial ground, but after lot of protests by the locals. Two others were buried at Ahmedguda village in Keesara village. Four others were cremated in Hindu crematoriums in the city.
Church of South India Bishop A.C. Solomon Raj of Medak said no bar existed on burying the Covid-19 deceased if they belong to his Church. “So far we have not got a request for burial of any Covid-19 victim but will surely allow last rites to be performed as per Christian customs,” he said.
Vicar general of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad Father Swarna Bernard too echoed similar sentiments saying that they had systems in place to perform the last rites of any Catholic who dies of any ailment, including coronavirus.
Kanthi Wesley, managing director, Telangana State Christian Minority Finance Corporation, the nodal agency overlooking welfare of the Christians in the state, said they would coordinate with the churches to allow burial for Covid-19 victims. Big cemeteries in the cities lack space so the government had allotted 40 acres for new Christian burial grounds in and around the city, she said.