Nepal reviews Christian demands for burial land

(April 11, 2011) Nepali officials last week said the government has formed a committee to review demands by Christians who want designated burial grounds. Christians complain there are only a handful of places where they can bury their dead in the predominantly Hindu nation, where most corpses are cremated. Committee chief Rishikesh Niraula said they will “study in detail” the demands made by the Christian community and submit their recommendations within 45 days. He said the committee includes officials from the home, land reform and parliamentary affairs ministries and cultural experts. Christians have been protesting since a ban was imposed earlier this year on a traditional burial area next to Katmandu's Pashupatinath temple, which is revered by Hindus in Nepal. However several Christian leaders have accepted the option to cremate rather than bury, arguing so many poor people do not even have a piece of land to live on.