Residents of two villages in the Barsar area of Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district were involved in a dispute over the cremation of a Dalit man's body, prompting intervention from the local administration and police.
The dispute took place at the Bhevad Saheli crematorium in Kadasai Panchayat on Tuesday, when villagers from Bhevad Saheli and Nanawan confronted each other over the performance of last rites.
The issue began after the designated cremation ground for the Scheduled Caste community of Nanawan village became unusable due to rain and a rapidly flowing ravine.
As a result, the deceased's family turned to the nearby Bhevad Saheli crematorium, which was opposed from the local residents and led into a heated argument between the two groups.
Later, as tensions escalated, the police and local authorities were informed about the matter, and with their intervention, the matter was resolved peacefully, allowing the cremation to proceed.
The dispute arose due to the existence of caste-based cremation grounds. According to the representatives of the Kadasai Panchayat, residents of Nanawan village had earlier sought permission to use the Bhevad Saheli cremation site during the monsoon season.
However, the Panchayat declined the request due to lack of consensus among the villagers. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rajendra Gautam confirmed the peaceful completion of the rites and assured that a permanent solution would be sought.
"The local administration has been directed to identify government land and build a separate crematorium for Nanawan village at the earliest," he added.
