Jitesh Gadhia's article regarding Crematoria Review made some very pertinent points. When dealing with government agencies we need to be precise, clear and professional in our approach. It is something we from Dharmic faiths are not very good at.
Regarding the Crematoriums let us first be clear of what we do not want. We do not want burial places as we are cremated not buried. The other thing we do not want is open air cremations. All over India cremations are now changing from open air to indoor cremation.
A few people who have been advocating open air cremations should not be allowed to hijack this issue. So what is it that we want the government do?
A shrine at the crematorium has been suggested and there has also been talk about there not being enough space to accommodate people who come to pay their last respects. Regarding the shrine I believe that funeral directors do provide with pictures of God and the Aum symbol. If we had a shrine then it would have to be attended to everyday, offered prayers and kept clean. Until we can assure this would happen we should not ask for a shrine.
Regarding space to accommodate everyone well there will never be enough space. We seem to manage quite well at present. When it comes to dispersing the ashes, this can be done in the River Thames at designated places. I believe this is the case in most towns and cities with rivers nearby.
So I remain unsure of what is it that we want and why George Osborne found this issue important enough to mention in his budget.
