Singh Sabha plans to go to higher authorities and the Minorities Commission against the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner’s order not allowing the addition of the word “Sikh” to crematoriums in Sikh majority areas of the city.

Singh Sabha Mumbai plans to go to higher authorities and the Minorities Commission against the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner’s order not allowing the addition of the word “Sikh” to crematoriums in Sikh majority areas of the city.

In a battle that has been going on for a couple of years, the Singh Sabha Mumbai had nearly succeeded in getting the word “Sikhs” attached to the names of at least 4 crematoriums around the Sikh majority population areas in metropolitan Mumbai. However, overruling all junior officers, as well as the suggestions made by the Maharashtra State Minorities Corporation, the Commissioner of Bombay Municipal Commission, rejected the Sikh demand prompting the Singh Sabha to declared to go to court on the subject.

“Sikhs are Sikhs, they are a distinct religion and and they have different rites for birth, initiation into the religion, marriage and death. So why should they not have a separate cremation ground for the members of their own community?” asks Kulwant Singh, Vice-President of the Singh Sabha Mumbai. Presently the Singh Sabha is seeking addition of the name “Sikh” to the existing cremation grounds in Sikh majority areas. The corporation proposes to add another 35 crematoriums to the existing 34 in the city.

“While the health department, which has the powers to add names was positively considering the addition of the word Sikh to the Hindu crematoriums at Sion Hindu crematorium, Tagore Nagar and Dattatray Road crematorium in Santa Cruz (W), the proposal was rejected by the chief commissioner alone which was communicated by the Health department through a letter to the Singh Sabha on 22 June.”

“We have been writing letters to the Municipal Corporation as well as to the State Minorities Commission and fail to understand the logic of the Commissioner in rejecting our proposal. His decision is unconstitutional and we will go to the National Commission for Minorities. We are one of the six communities recognised as a minority community under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Furthermore, the Constitution of India recognises us a separate religion”, said Manmohan Singh, while speaking to the World Sikh News.

While the health department, which has the powers to add names was positively considering the addition of the word “Sikh” to the “Hindu” crematoriums at Sion Hindu crematorium, Tagore Nagar and Dattatray Road crematorium in Santa Cruz (W), the proposal was rejected by the chief commissioner alone which was communicated by the Health department through a letter to the Singh Sabha on 22 June.

Sikhs in Mumbai are agitated over the decision and they ask point blank, “all communities and even some groups have crematoriums with their name, so why not we too, what is wrong with the request asks Manmohan Singh, General Secretary of the Singh Sabha.