The Meghalaya High Court has directed the state government to initiate urgent steps for acquiring land to establish common burial grounds accessible to all communities, addressing an acute shortage of public burial spaces.
A division bench of Chief Justice I.P. Mukerji and Justice W. Diengdoh issued the order on Monday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) highlighting the scarcity of burial grounds for various religious and ethnic groups, including the Khasi and Jaintia communities.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by denominational reluctance to share privately managed cemeteries, the court observed that many communities expressed willingness to share cemeteries provided the land is publicly acquired and designated for common use.
“Villages, or at least a significant number of them, have community land belonging to the village people in common. A part of it may be gifted for common burial purposes,” the bench noted, underscoring the potential role of traditional village resources in solving the problem.
To ensure inclusive and consensual decision-making, the court ordered the formation of a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary. This panel will engage with all relevant stakeholders, including tribal councils, church representatives, and administrative officials, to discuss land acquisition and burial access mechanisms.
The committee has also been tasked with resolving inter-denominational disputes and exploring the use of village lands for the purpose.
The court further directed the amicus curiae in the matter to submit a report compiling the minutes of all stakeholder meetings to aid in the ongoing proceedings.
