Gasification method

As an orthodox Zoroastrian, I have read the correspondence appearing in various newspapers regarding disposal of dead bodies of Zoroastrians residing in Bombay who are consigned to the Towers of Silence and allowing prayers to be said at Doongerwadi for those who have opted for cremation, and would like to air my own views.

I feel people are critical of our small community. I was a member of the committee headed by the late Jangoo Gagrat that had suggested that the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) allow crematorium facilities at Doonger­wadi, failing which prayers be permitted after death for those who had chosen to be cremated and to apportion a small piece of land, either at Doongerwadi or any other property belonging to the BPP, for constructing a structure where prayers could be said for them.

The then BPP trustees did not accept the first suggestion, but the second and third requests were not only accepted, their consent was recorded in the minutes of the meeting. Unfortunately, these resolutions have now been rescinded.

It is not my intention to criticize the trustees or any stance taken by members of the Zoroastrian community, individually or collectively. It is common knowledge that things are not going well at Doongerwadi because it is not possible to continue the old system of the bodies being consumed by vultures (who are now completely extinct at Doonger­wadi), nor are the solar panels working satisfactorily. Through the solar panels the sun’s rays are allowed to fall on the bodies and the heat therein is focused on the corpses. What would one call this process? Is it burning the bodies without fire, baking or roasting them?

I suggest that the BPP consider using the gasification process. Gasification is not incineration. Incineration is operated by introducing oxygen into the disposal process and then igniting that oxygen in the presence of other waste products (which could apply to dead bodies) or by biomass in order to literally burn everything to ash. Given the requirements of the community that bodies should not be put into the fire because our religion holds fire in great esteem, the new gasification process should be suitable because there is no fire or flame. It works on a two-chamber system. In the first chamber excessive heat is introduced with resist ambient temperature inside the chamber to a level sufficient to cause everything composed of carbon to be reduced to a gas, leaving behind only ash. Thereafter the gas is moved to the second chamber where it is disposed of.

If this technology is used at the Tower of Silence the resultant ash would contain some skeletal remains which, being extremely brittle, could be crushed into ash without any harm to the place. As members of the community are aware, even in the old system, after the vultures had consumed the body, bones continued to remain and were disposed of in a manner best known to the BPP.

Members of the Doongerwadi Committee who pride themselves in having open minds should look into the gasification manner of disposal and make a suitable report to the BPP on the matter. This method should be acceptable to almost all sections of Parsis, even to those who have turned to solar power.

FALI P. SARKARI