Earlier, when a body was consigned to the dakhma, there were loud caws of the birds, the fluttering of wings, as the birds fed on the body. After some time, the birds being satiated, quietly rested and we knew that the body was consumed. That was when the dakhmenashini system was functioning.
With the extinction of vultures, the entire system has collapsed. The solar panels are an eyewash to hoodwink the community. The worst affected are the pallbearers, toiling in such hazardous conditions at the cost of their physical, mental and psychological health. All those, including the high priests who advocate for the present system, should once enter the dakhma and witness the naked truth with their own eyes.
We care to give a decent burial to our pets when they die. Even the carcass of a stray dog lying on the street is taken care of by the municipal corporation. It is very hard to believe that a community, so caring and compassionate, shows such scant respect to their dearest deceased.
The disposal of dead bodies is primarily a matter of health, hygiene and sanitation.
The Navsari Parsi Anjuman has taken a bold step and deserves kudos for their victory against the mighty conservatives, including the five high priests. The hue and cry from the traditionalists is uncalled for, as this is a lesson to all those who exert fanatical obstinacy to persecute the opponents of dakhmenashini in the name of religion. As the dakhma is also functional, burial is an option and not a compulsion. Hence there is no reason to protest.
Due to environmental awareness all over the world, people have been planning for eco-friendly green methods of disposal of dead bodies.
A Swedish biologist after 20 years of research has devised an innovative method of ecological burial named Promession. It is an elaborate decomposition system that takes place in a sealed machine called Promator. The body is frozen and placed in liquid nitrogen to make it brittle, then it is vibrated to powder in 60 seconds and dehydrated to remove moisture. The dry powder is placed in a biodegradable coffin and buried in the top layer of soil about one foot deep. The coffin and the contents become compost in six to 12 months.
Yet another eco-friendly method of disposal of dead bodies is Resomation or alkaline hydrolysis. The body is placed in a chamber that is filled with a mixture of water and lye, heated to a temperature of 160°C at high pressure to prevent boiling. The body is effectively broken down in its chemical components in about three hours. The end result is, the body mass and organs liquify into a greenish brown liquid and soft bone remains, which is crushed and can be deposited in the sea, a river or mixed with the soil and buried. The liquid may be dispersed in the sanitary system or open spaces.
Can we not create a way for a decent disposal of our dead bodies?
PIROJA HOMI JOKHI
piroja.jokhi@gmail.com