By Prior Beharry
THE Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) has written to the Association of Funeral Professionals of Trinidad and Tobago (AFPTT) asking for the cost of indoor crematorium services.
The letter, signed by acting Secretary General of the SDMS Vijay Maharaj, was sent to the head of AFPTT Keith Belgrove and funeral director David Simpson on Friday.
The SDMS is challenging the ban on open-pyre cremations and has filed judicial review proceedings against the Ministry of Health and the matter is before Justice Nadia Kangaloo.
The judge gave both parties until March 25 to present their submissions to the court.
Attorneys for both parties appeared virtually before Justice Nadia Kangaloo on Wednesday.
The SDMS is being represented by attorneys Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC, Dinesh Rambally, Kiel Tacklalsingh, Stefan Ramkissoon and Rhea Khan while appearing for Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh are Fyard Hosein, SC, Rishi Dass, Kristal Madhosingh and Kendra Mark-Gordon.
In his letter, Maharaj said that the funeral homes were under no obligation to provide the information being requested but asked for them to “see the need to render humanitarian assistance to those who have difficulty burying their dead.”
Maharaj said it had come to the Maha Sabha’s attention that indoor cremations were estimated to cost between $10,000 to $15,000 per corpse.
He added that recent estimates have put that cost between $27,000 to $50,000.
The Maha Sabha is seeking to find out:
- The cost of incinerating one corpse;
- The daily cost of keeping a corpse;
- The average length of time a corpse is kept before an available date is found;
- The calculation of the cost of incinerating a body based on weigh; and
- Any other costs related to incineration.
Maharaj said, “In addition, we would like to find out what is the average waiting time for families before they are given the ashes of their loved ones. (We presume that this will vary amongst funeral homes).
This is important as the Hindu rituals that are done with the ashes usually take place the day after the cremation.”
