PATNA: Price rise is killing us, cries the aam admi. Here's more: Price rise won't spare one even after death.
A bereaved Gulab Kishore learned it the tragic way when he visited the city's Baans Ghat last week to perform the last rites of his son. No sooner did Kishore and his kinsmen all with moist eyes reach the burning ghat than Pt Jairam Pandey (name changed) appeared before them and threw a poser, rather plainly, "Kya karwana hai?" He went on, "Main yahan ka pandit hua; main shraddh-karma karwa dunga (I am a priest; can organise the cremation)."
Jairam has the gift of the gab. "It's a tragedy, but death is the sole certainty of life. Have faith in God; things will be okay soon," he consoled Kishore and offered to get "everything" done as per Hindu ritual for a "contract" of Rs 10,000.
"It's too much! Unreasonably high!" said one mourner. While others nodded, Jairam talked about price rise. "You buy puja materials yourself and you will know that I am not demanding the moon," he said.
While the mourners agreed to pay Jairam Rs 10,000, it turned out that one important element remained undecided during the haggling over price. Jairam had quoted the price for cremation in the electric crematorium while Kishore's friends and family members wanted traditional funeral by the river Ganga.
"Traditional style is more time-taking. It also involves huge cost as one needs at least five manas' of woods (one mana' = 40 kg). You will have to pay Rs 15,000 for that," Jairam said, almost non-stop.
The mourners turned him down, and turned to another priest, Ganesh Upadhyay (name changed), who was waiting in the wings to offer his services in case Jairam failed to woo the "customer". "People here are on the prowl. They will loot you if you don't opt for a contract," he advised the "clients". A professional priest as he was, he could soon make out his words were falling on deaf ears. He took out of his pocket a readymade list of materials needed for the cremation, and handed it to one mourner.
TOI found out prices of almost everything have doubled during the last few years. One mana' of mango wood, for instance, now comes for Rs 200 to 250 at Baans Ghat. Even the services of Supan Bhagat, who provides the mandatory fireball for lighting the pyre, come at a premium. It could be anything from Rs 351 to Rs 1.25 lakh, depending on the paying capacity of the mourners. Even the barber's fee, though not as astronomical as the Bhagat's, varies according to the financial status of the mourners. While the Bhagat's fireball is a must, a barber is required to tonsure the head of the relative who lights the pyre.
The cremation of Kishore's son cost the family around Rs 8,000.
There's also an electric crematorium at the Baans Ghat where a cadaver can be burned without spending on woods. Its charge is Rs 300, and it takes some 45 minutes to turn a corpse into ashes.
Death becomes costlier if the cremation takes place at the city's Gulbi Ghat. While the electric crematorium here charges Rs 320 as against Rs 300 at the Baans Ghat, woods etc are also costlier here. There's no one to explain this difference in the same city.
Nor is there anyone to explain why shouldn't there be a government mechanism to maintain order at the burning ghats. Or why has the government looked the other way while arbitrary price tags are flaunted publicly for every service be it the barber's, Bhagat's or priest's at these ghats. "Maybe because no one has complained and brought it (the loot) to our notice that we have not bothered to initiate any action," is all PMC commissioner Manish Kumar could offer to TOI.
The merchants of death' thus have a field day to make a kill.
Alok K N Mishra is with Times of India. He can be contacted at alokmishra.co@gmail.com
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