Chancellor George Osborne has launched a review into crematorium facilities for Hindus and Sikhs at his summer budget to ensure that they are appropriate to the needs of all users and faiths.
This will follow representations to the Chancellor from British Hindus and Sikhs, who are concerned that current facilities are often too small, and not equipped to meet their needs. Through this proposed consultation, the Government wants to know more about these issues and what steps can be taken to improve existing facilities in line with current law.
According to the 2011 Census, 27% of Britons in England & Wales are currently Hindus (817,000) and 14% are Sikhs (423,000).
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said: “This is a Budget that delivers for British Hindus and Sikhs: backing business, supporting aspiration and standing behind families that work hard.
“Over the past year a number of British Hindus and Sikhs have also raised with me their concerns about cremation facilities for their communities. They’ve told me that often the facilities are not large enough for everyone from the community to pay their respects and don’t always pay enough regard to cultural sensitivities.
“So this Budget announces a review into these facilities. We want to know more about concerns people from all faiths and none have about these facilities, so we can do more to ensure everybody can mark the passing of their loved ones appropriately. That’s why we’ve launched this consultation and I’d urge everyone to make their views known on this important issue.”
The consultation will be led by the Department for Communities and Local Government and launched in due course. It is intended to take into account the views of all faiths and members of the community.
Community representatives welcome the proposed review
Trupti Patel, President of Hindu Forum of Britain said, “We at the HFB have been campaigning for culturally sensitive crematorium facilities for many years. It is indeed good news that the present Conservative Government has recognised this very important issue and will be conducting a major consultation exercise that we hope will result in meeting the needs of our community.”
Satish K Sharma, General Secretary of National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) said: “This Government has been in office for 3 months and we have a had a most welcome breakthrough. Many Hindu activists have been pressing for this change (some for over 15 years!) and all of them deserve our appreciation and gratitude. The NCHTUK looks forward to being involved and once the Consultation gets under way we will as always, keep you informed.
Jasvir Singh, Chair of the City Sikhs Network said, "The plan to consult with the British public about the current state of crematoria around the UK is welcomed. Over 70% of people who die in the UK are cremated, and the crematoria around the country have not been able to keep up with this societal shift. It is no longer just a religious issue affecting the Dharmic communities such as Sikhs and Hindus, but simply one of human dignity for all and of meeting the needs of families at a time of bereavement. We at City Sikhs look forward to taking part in that consultation."
The Hindu Council of Wales said they are delighted at this review. A spokesperson said, “...The Cardiff Council have worked closely with the Hindu Community to address cultural sensitivities at the crematorium in Cardiff but in areas outside of Cardiff the needs of the Hindu Community are not often met. It is most important to ensure that all Hindus across Wales should be able to mark the passing away of their loved ones in a culturally appropriate way as per their traditions.
“One of the issues the HCW is working closely with Cardiff Council is about having a suitable location in the Cardiff area for Hindu families for the dispersal of the funeral ashes of their loved ones.”
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Crematorium Review: will our community now rise to the challenge?
By Jitesh Gadhia, a well-known financier and member of the Advisory Board of the City Hindu Network
By all accounts, last week's budget by Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, was a big event in setting the economic and political agenda for the next five years of the new Parliament.
Amongst the big, bold brush strokes of his 7th budget – which included the surprise introduction of a compulsory living wage – the Chancellor also found time to address a long standing issue for Britain's
Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities. As part of the budget announcements, the Treasury launched a review of Crematorium facilities to ensure they meet the needs of all users and faiths. This initiative has been widely welcomed across the British Indian community.
The fact that this relatively "niche" issue has risen to the Chancellor's inbox is testimony to the increasing political importance of British Indians, who played a decisive role in the outcome of the recent General Election. However, it is also a reflection of the Chancellor’s commitment to tackling specific issues head-on and finding appropriate solutions.
A serious initiative emanating from the highest levels of Government deserves an equally professional and co-ordinated response from our community. Whilst the exact nature and scope of the review process has yet to be announced by the Department for Communities and Local Government, it provides a unique opportunity to finally move this vexed issue from the arena of debate to a series of concrete recommendations and deliverables.
However, to galvanise any Government department into action requires strong evidenced-based policy making and practical solutions capable of being implemented. The provision of Crematoria facilities is a complex subject which spans many different stakeholders, users and providers and could easily be kicked back into the long grass of local government bureaucracy and planning laws. Against this background, a fragmented and piecemeal response from our community would be fatal. This Review is therefore a critical test of our community’s maturity and capacity to collaborate and speak with one cohesive voice.
Indeed there are some encouraging recent precedents which show how community organisations working together, rather than individually, can deliver real results. Take for example the consortium of 14 groups which organises “Diwali in London” in conjunction with the Mayor of London and is now in its 15th year of operation. And most recently, the co-ordinated response by various Hindu organisations to the threat of Caste Legislation.
The Crematorium Review provides the opportunity to raise our game yet further and create a consortium that can pool our collective resources to address a number of key areas which will likely form part of any Review process:
- Commission and fund a proper representative survey which provides conclusive evidence of the needs of our communities and how they are currently being met (or unmet).
- Catalogue the specific impediments and obstacles to the creation of proper facilities of sufficient size and cultural sensitivity;
- Find a way to reconcile and prioritise the local needs of communities which are themselves often diverse in nature and spread across different parts of the country;
- Identify some “inaugural” projects which could be accelerated and deliver quick tangible results, providing templates which can be replicated and improved upon elsewhere; and
- Create a pledge fund which demonstrates that the community is willing to put financial “skin in the game” and is able to match public sector resources through a genuine public-private partnership.
- Our community will also need to be forensic and assertive in understanding why this issue has not been addressed thus far despite the overwhelming demand in areas of high Hindu, Sikh and Jain concentration.
It appears that Local Councils have certain obligations for the maintenance of existing burial sites but don't have specific legal responsibilities regarding the provision of new or locally appropriate facilities. This appears to be a root cause of our unmet needs.
For example, the two London boroughs with the highest Indian populations – Brent and Harrow – don't actually provide any crematorium facilities in their own catchment area but rely instead on facilities in neighbouring boroughs. Frankly, neither authority has been adequately held to account by our community over a long period.
As recently as 2013, the London Borough of Brent published an exhaustive 58-page "Cemeteries strategy" which admits that most of the deaths of Brent residents lead to cremations outside the borough – yet their own report barely pays any attention to this fact and focuses instead on burial provision.
Similarly, the London Borough of Harrow has made specific provision for burials of persons of Muslim faith at two cemeteries within the borough and also for the Greek Orthodox faith but makes no mention of Hindus, Sikhs or Jains which together represent the largest group of residents.
As we seek to raise our game, I hope the community will draw inspiration from the likes of The Jewish Leadership Council or British Board of Deputies. As noted by many other commentators, we have much to learn from the Jewish community who also have a large number of individual community organisations but on certain matters realise that strategic planning, co-ordination and a common voice provides far greater impact than any individual effort. The most relevant example being the famous Hoop Lane Cemetery in Golders Green which is managed by a Joint Burial Committee on behalf of two synagogues but also heavily used by the British Indian community.
The Crematorium Review is a critical test for our community. Not only is the outcome important for but so too is the manner in which we conduct our response. It could mark a milestone in the way we are perceived as a community. I hope we will rise to the challenge.
