TAXILA: Nearly 70 years after the partition of the subcontinent, the Potohar region’s Hindu and Sikh communities have finally been granted land for a crematorium, also known as a shamshan ghat.

Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB) chairperson Sadeequl Farooq performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the crematorium on Wednesday, on the Pathargarh Road in Hassanabdal.

The land for the crematorium measures 2,000 sq metres, and was allocated on the wishes of the local Sikh community.

The special assistant to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister for minority affairs, Sardar Soran Singh, and other officials were also present, as well as a number of Sikh and Hindu residents.

A shamshan ghat is a platform designed for the cremation of the bodies of those who belong to the Hindu and Sikh faiths. Ideally, a shamshan ghat is located on a riverbank so the ashes can be scattered in accordance with tradition.

Speaking to the press, the EPTB chairperson said the present government believes in the welfare of minorities and the maintenance and development of their religious sites, as per the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam.

He said the purpose-built crematorium is a great relief for the Hindu and Sikh communities, whose populations have swelled to over 10,000 in the Potohar region.

“It is actually a relief for the Hindu population because proper cremation is a vital part of their faith, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah assured everyone who chose to live in Pakistan that he or she would be free to practice their religion here,” he said.

He said it was the government’s responsibility to provide an environment conducive to minorities, and the welfare of minorities will allow them to feel comfortable and secure in Pakistan. He said this in turn would strengthen national solidarity.

Maan Singh, a local resident, said most Hindus and Sikhs living in the area cremate their dead and scatter their ashes along the Attock River – which is near a cremation ground where adequate facilities are available.

The ground is located near the Mallahi Tola, and only a few people can afford to travel such a long distance to perform the funeral rites of their loved ones.

Another local resident, Ram Lal, added: “The journey from Hassanabdal to Attock River costs Rs15,000.”

“We also have to purchase nearly 650 kilogrammes of wood, and we have other expenditures, which amount roughly to Rs10,000 to Rs14,000,” he added.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2016