Thursday, 7 March 2024

Hindu community

Trung LUU (Western Metropolitan) (17:58): (776) My adjournment is for the Minister for Health, and the action I seek is for the minister to allow the Indian community at Melton’s Harkness cemetery to have a space at the new cemetery in Melton to conduct open-air funeral pyres in accordance with their religious tradition. Traditional Hindu funerals are designed to cleanse the soul and prepare for the spiritual world in reincarnation. The traditional practice requires the deceased body to be cremated on top of a pyre of wood. Currently our cremation practices do not allow or permit the Hindu community to conduct their religious practice, so our Indian Australians must fly their deceased family member overseas to be cremated in a dignified way. The Harkness cemetery is being designed to embrace changing community attitudes and beliefs about funerals. However, the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust has stated they will not seriously consider a proposal for another 10 years because there is no precedent. I am not sure from what century the board of the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust delivered their reasons. It was certainly without any consultation with the community, or engagement. It does not reflect modern society, and it is not embracing changing community attitudes and beliefs. The Hindu community are only asking for a small space within the vast 128 acres of the cemetery, which will be one of the largest cemeteries in Melbourne. With the cemetery still in the planning and development stages and set to open in 2026, the cemetery trust must at least consider its support of Hinduism, the largest and fastest growing religion. As a state that prides itself on multiculturalism, the minister should intervene and respect the Hindu rituals and beliefs. I ask the minister: could he give the Hindu community some respect and allow them to conduct and honour their traditional burial of their loved ones?