Disposal of Covid corpses

For the safety of citizens, the Bombay Municipal Corporation has issued guidelines that all Covid-19 infected dead bodies be sealed in plastic bags and cremated without tampering with the seal. The ambulance staff in their PPE (personal protective equipment) safety kits will transport these bodies to the crematorium where, with the high temperatures, the virus is totally destroyed.
Though there is a loud outcry in our community on cremation and even religious prayers and traditional rituals are denied to those who opt for this method, the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), realizing the gravity of the situation, have wisely permitted the four-day death prayers to be performed in fire temples for the Covid victims who were cremated.
Instead of applauding the wise decision of the trustees, some diehard religious fanatics are blaming and abusing them for betraying the community.
Despite the dismal condition the dakhmas are in, traditionalists want the funerary rites of Covid-19 infected corpses to be performed at the Tower of Silence. Who will transport the bodies there? Who will perform the sachkar and other rituals? Are they going to dump the bodies in the nonfunctioning dakhmas as is being done now and spread the deadly virus to the entire community? Will not the lives of pallbearers be at risk while handling Covid-19 corpses?
People assume that dead bodies do not spread the virus. However, Mumbai Mirror of June 7, 2020 has published a report about a hospital in Vasai where a body handed over to the relatives, without waiting for the certificate, turned out to be Covid-19 positive. Action is being taken against the hospital for negligence and about 40 people were placed in quarantine. Why did they take such stringent action if Covid positive corpses do not spread the virus? Are rituals for the dead more important than the life and safety of all?
There is another allegation that the BPP trustees are planning to create a burial ground at Doongerwadi, which the trustees have vehemently denied. l personally feel that it is a great idea and will solve our problem permanently.
Burial is not a new concept in Zoroastrianism. Before the dakhmas were built and even today in places where dakhmas do not exist, the community establishes aramgahs where the dead are laid to rest with all traditional rituals, ceremonies and prayers. The families visit the site on special occasions and offer floral tributes. Most aramgahs are well maintained, neat, clean, with fragrant flowers and shady trees, unlike the stinking dakhmas with rotting dead bodies.
Thanks to our visionary ancestors, we have at Doongerwadi a vast area to use as an aramgah to meet the needs of the community. As this would entail maximum use of the estate, the risk of encroachments will be averted. All community members would like to bid their final farewell to their loved ones from Doongerwadi’s serene and peaceful environs. With burial, this will be possible. There should be no objection as the dakhmas will remain available for those who prefer dakhmenashini. It would be a win-win situation for all and bring about peace and goodwill. Let us not fight over this and create conflicts in the community.
Today, when the higher power has humbled us, we should be positive in our approach, considerate towards the needs of others, and abide by the will of Ahura Mazda. Our religion has given us the freedom to exercise our choice as long as our actions cause no harm to others. As long as there is no interference to our way of practicing religion, we should not be bothered by how others practice it. This is a sure way to bring peace in the community. PIROJA JOKHI
piroja.jokhi@gmail.com