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5/15/2005 - In Search of Flesh-eating Turtles: Cremation Grounds and Water Contamination in Lucknow by Richard D. Connerney

ICWA LETTERS Since Institute Current World Affairs Crane Rogers Foundation provided fellowships enable outstanding young professionals outside United States write about international areas issues An exempt operating foundation endowed Charles R Crane Institute supported contributions minded individuals foundations TRUSTEES Bryn Barnard Joseph Battat Mary Lynne Bird Steven Butler Sharon F Doorasamy William F Foote Peter Geithner Gary Hartshorn Kitty Hempstone Katherine Roth Kono Cheng Li Peter Bird Martin Chandler Rosenberger Edmund Sutton HONORARY TRUSTEES David Elliot David Hapgood Pat M Holt Edwin S Munger Richard H Nolte Albert Ravenholt Phillips Talbot Institute Current World Affairs The Crane Rogers Foundation Four West Wheelock Street Hanover New Hampshire 03755 U S A RDC SOUTH ASIA Richard Connerney Phillips Talbot Fellow studying influence impact religion Indian society In Search Flesh eating Turtles Cremation Grounds Water Contamination Lucknow By Richard D Connerney MAY LUCKNOW India You expert Lucknow Gomti River suffers serious pollution problem Anyone walked along waterway riverbanks greenish color water smelled putrid stench would realize Gomti river crisis Not surprisingly residents Lucknow value riverfront property poorest shantytowns stand directly river shores Pollution Gomti comes sources Factories industrial agents water decrepit sewerage systems river human waste pesticides Gomti farms villages All these defile ments exist degree major rivers anywhere world The Gomti suffers additional malaise source water pollution Indian subcontinent orthodox Hindu death ceremony Traditionally Hindus cremate their scatter ashes nearest river Normally would serious problem because small amounts relatively harmless health large river Gomti Unfortunately cremation ritual requires erection wooden funeral being expensive families cannot afford enough incinerate their departed relative remains fully In other instances funeral workers extinguish prematurely In either bodies floating river cremated To matters worse bodies river without crema The corpses lepers monks certain ascetic orders young children those suffered death victims accident violence ditionally weighted immersed river rather urned Although illegal areas continues happen alarming regularity However there human carcasses sastrous waterway They increase levels biological agents bacteria which already above normal Indian rivers Near Varanasi Hindu pilgrimage center extensive cremation grounds Ganges River notoriously filthy One prominent environmentalist considering level water pollution Varanasi remarked When century Kabir wrote Ganga Ganges Hell flows along river rotten beasts would lieved impious lament would prove phetic Although Lucknow crema grounds smaller Varanasi burned cadavers significantly Gomti contamination Water tamination burned parts contribute catastrophic public health crisis Uttar Pradesh where rough person dysentery every minute Effective alternative methods disposal solve Gomti problems would right direction The Electric Crematorium A traditional Hindu funeral quires small ritual cialists The Dom pronounced caste responsible erecting funeral itself Un touchables Dom nevertheless lucrative monopoly cremation grounds extract money possible mourn If deceased family balks price result could small fully corpse Reportedly Doms polite demand their either One anthro pologist overheard Dom following reaved family elderly Your respected father again again You perform rites after Your father raised educated Now heart Do happily You You arrive So Did poison Other Doms family deceased employ Mahabrahmin group Brahmin Subba Bhim Disputes Over Ganga A Look Potential Water related Conflicts South Asia Panos Institute Kathmandu Delhi Demanding More Ganges Sudhirendra Sharma Subba Bhim Disputes Over Ganga A Look Potential Water related Conflicts South Asia Panos Institute Kathmandu Uttar Pradesh Ganges Crisis Gopal Krishna Parry Jonathan Death Banaras Cambridge University Press New Delhi Pg RDC priest caste performs elaborate rites repose period several weeks The Mahabrahmins drive bargain Their verage these negotiations supernatural emonies botched ghost departed called could return living The required funerary specialists there The family additional Brahmin priest subsequent observances barber mourners gofer during funeral rites Each these specialists takes ordeal family could spend thousand rupees This simply Indians Often families deceased canvass their neighbors relatives funds cremate In cases leads cutting corners using enough In attempt solve problem Government India built electric crematoriums allow people cremate bargain price In Lucknow crematorium costs Rupees Despite price however impact these facilities water pollution remains unclear Al though Indians realize Hindu funeral expensive prolonged ecologically destructive embraced crematoriums large numbers Some reluctance electric crematorium arises Ibid gious tradition Brahmin priests objected could perform proper solemnities cremation occurred electric crematorium Kapal kriya skull breaking ample essential orthodox Hindu funeral This ritual quires chief mourner usually departed other relative break corpse smolders Ac complished means stave kapal kriya marks emancipation An electric cremation makes proper skull breaking impos sible could result spirit hanging around angry ghost serious peril family deceased Despite these problems first electric crematorium Varanasi brief period popularity Brief because accident design facility suffers surprisingly frequent electrical outages repair leave inoperable Some people believe Doms Brahmins conspired sabotage operation these facilities Whether allegation Brahmins Doms stand great widespread crematoriums The Doms would longer exact price Brahmins would curtail their elaborate rituals I visited Lucknow cremation grounds banks INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Gomti morning myself leads people prefer expensive wooden funeral pyres reasonably priced electric crematorium When I arrived traditional funeral grounds mourners Doms Brahmins bodies wrapped saffron cloths Following directions Brahmin priest urners circled blazing pyres accom paniment rhythmic Sanskrit chants The City Department Electric Body Burning House other appeared empty A metal barred imposing factory build I found through where I Muhammad Rashid facility Electrician Ram Grish Operator They ishing morning third cremation Behind I could smoke billowing cremation chambers No mourners present however Muhammad Ram people electric crematorium family Even cremation often occurs without The bodies usually arrive morning ashes returned afternoon Muhammad estimated percent crema tions occur traditional wooden funeral pyres Those electric crematorium often wards state homeless vagabon those suffered death When asked crematorium popular Muhammad Ram wooden funeral pyres ancient tradition people change regardless vironmental concerns Both denied electric crematorium closed quently electrical shortages repairs Muhammad doubted validity Brah objection crematorium grounds precluded skull breaking Actually extreme electric crematorium break skull anyway naturally You break yourself If people realized would facility I impression funerals electric Above The doors Electric Crematorium Right The outside Lucknow City Department Electric Body Burning House It reads The received Translation Sanskrit Pavit rananda Swami Siva Mahimnah Stotram The Hymn Greatness Siva Elm Press Calcutta As Muslim Muhammad understood subtleties Hindu cremation rituals In actuality kapal kriya skull breaking bestows spiritual benefits deceased chief mourner Thus skull break under intense electric crematorium chief mourner would spiritual benefit Ibid RDC The finally ignited photo D Simon crematorium events The facility river architecture inelegant Moreover while regular cremation grounds contain religious icons various Hindu deities inside electric crematorium charm Brook Department Motor Vehicles I wondered would success promoting invested cosmetic changes building thought towards erior design The Electric Body Burning House inconvenient While regular cremations night outside electric cremato insists The received In Lucknow perhaps Dom sabotage electric supply facility operate under constraints cannot compete traditional funerals anyway After wandering traditional cremation grounds I spent talking mourners partici pating traditional death ceremonies They plained about funeral rituals aware rising pollution levels Gomti River They agreed however criminals lepers electric crematorium would never themselves I young named Ranu Shuklu PhD Botany Dr Shuklu mourning death friend father He ridiculed superstitions canery surround funeral rites expres pollution Gomti effect animal plant I asked occasion death would prefer cremated Electric Body Burning House Well slowly In funeral really benefit family I would family decide Dr Shuklu thought moment added people Lucknow prefer traditional funerals cause relatively cheap In Calcutta would expensive people emony Here though possible shrug Dr Shuklu attitude toward cremation reminded Americans attitudes towards SUVs Everyone knows SUVs ecologically destructive expensive safety records handle poorly gasoline Why people still Simply because Lucknowites their wooden neral pyres There course Funerals crema tions great emotional stress mourners often happy tradition dictate their actions While survivors grieve savvy professionals Dom Brahmins their psychological insecurities pressure paying cremation intended While people about environment extent chief concern mourners giving their family member friend dignified As Lucknow electric crema INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS torium looks Satanic never viable alternative traditional cremation In Search Flesh Eating Turtles In 1980s state government Uttar Pradesh The Ganga Pariyojanaa Nideshaaalaya Ganges Restoration Project GPD Ganges Action Plan GAP innovative If people spurned electric crematoriums eliminate floaters after bodies river Their introduce species animal Ganges tributaries would float corpses parts cleaning water process Several species turtles In tests ravenous appetite rotting flesh Moreover breed large numbers using incuba Scientists discovered could habituate turtles human flesh before their release ensure sapiens their dinner choice Lastly because turtles religious meaning Hinduism Hindus believe Vishnu incarnated divine turtle Indian public could easily digest turtles consuming their final remains By 1990s GDP released flesh eating turtles rivers streams Uttar Pradesh At first there optimism turtles would prosper reproduce A rumor turtles developed taste human flesh begun iving bathers proved wholly untrue Between inception project present optimism faded The Ganges tribu taries including Gomti polluted change number burned bodies float waterways North India noticeable So happened turtles To I tacted Dr Suhendhir Sharma ecological expert author important article flesh eating turtles India Today Over lunch I asked where animals wrote about article Surprisingly flesh eating turtles disappeared Disappeared I How What happened His answer simple Nobody knows The ernment never conducted follow study Dr Sharma offered several theories however One conjecture local villagers discovered flesh eating turtles themselves quite tasty Over these villagers mated turtle population through poaching An equally likely possibility turtles found their Chinese markets illegal trade dangered animals Sadly perts realized danger before project comple In Dr Sharma article director GPD K Mohan remarked Until areas Ganges given status sanctuary could fatal turtles released After lunch Dr Sharma I despaired seeing flesh eating turtles Then I stumbled reference paper Crocodile Turtle Release Program place called Kukeral Crocodile Reserve located tributary Gomti about Lucknow I wondered turtles program I looking I hired headed crocodile reserve As turned three species turtles lived facility animal A brief gamekeeper Mr Shaam Laal confirmed these GPD program I asked Mr Laal happened turtles after their release He threw hands simply The government invest money project Not Mr Laal remain turtles opened cages Kachuga Kachuga Kachuga Tecta Geoclemys Hamiltonii An Advanced Hindi Magazine Reader Mishra Awadhesh Abhaas Prakashan Varanasi Jalacharon Jauhara Sudhirendra Sharma Reprinted India Today Ibid Translated Hindi RDC Deborah photograph close This particular turtle female Kachuga Kachuga camera Mr Laal roused muddy water corner So reached lifted flesh eating amphibian water placing front To truth flesh eating turtles frightening actual itself This Kachuga Kachuga lazily front considered slightly peeved Her expression ferocious ritated I going seemed expect Christmas I asked Mr Laal particu turtle Like I It Kachuga Kachuga I explained species I asking about rather personal ticular animal I America Mai Xiang Panda National Zoo Washington DC He found ridiculous You Kachuga Kachuga answered curtly As I looked Kachuga Kachuga I bored reptile I Uttar Pradesh cremation problems their grotesque totality In effec policies would prevent dumping burned bodies rivers streams India turned innocent turtle solve problems Sadly experiment thousands Kachuga Kachuga relatives disappeared without trace It curred In neither electric crematoriums flesh eating turtles effect pollution Gomti River What bothers schemes ideas I wonder public relations campaign redesigned facilities allowed range traditional rites including skull breaking people would electric crematoriums larger numbers I wonder properly funded turtle release turtles Kachuga Kachuga could difference When I living New York City I often found myself stuck traffic Brooklyn Queens Ex pressway Calvary cemetery When I looking license plate truck front I would field headstone towards East River How foolish I would think myself estate people longer enjoy Maybe I After should I expect people think rationally about their irrational death At fault between nothingness special somebody comes otherwise sensible thoughts mortal terror The realization familiar corporeal frame become inanimate public health hazard easily Like Prince Hamlet contemplat maybe breaking skull Yorick thought ecological impact death On planet billion people however better place those bones soliloquy ended INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Current Fellows their Activities Alexander Brenner June CHINA With B A History Yale M A China Studies Johns Hopkins School Advanced International Studies Alex China examining country adapting economic cultural globalization following accession World Trade Organization Richard D Connerney January INDIA A lecturer Philosophy Asian Religions Philosophy Rutgers Iona College University Hawaii Manoa Rick Connerney spending years Phillips Talbot Fellow studying writing about intertwining religion culture politics India described former U S Ambassador John Kenneth Galbraith functioning anarchy Rick B A M A religion Wheaton College University Hawaii respectively Cristina Merrill ROMANIA Born Bucharest Cristina moved Romania United States mother father Learning English retaining Romanian majored American History Harvard Colleg there became captain women tennis She received Master degree Journalism New York University worked several U S publications Adweek New York Times spending years Romania watching emerge darkness Ceauscescu regime presumed light membership European Union NATO Andrew J Tabler February SYRIA LEBANON Andrew lived studied worked Middle East since Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Fellowship enabled begin Arabic language studies toward Master degree American University Cairo Following Master editorships Middle East Times Cairo Times before moving Turkey Lebanon Syria working Senior Editor Oxford Business Group correspondent Economist Intelligence Unit His ICWA fellowship bases Beirut Damascus where report Lebanese affairs Syri reform Jill Winder July GERMANY With B A politics Whitman College Walla Walla WA Master degree Art Curating Bard College Annandale Hudson NY Jill ICWA Donors Fellow looking Germany through ideas viewpoints contemporary artists Before months intensive study German language Berlin Thomas J Watson Fellow looking communist practice cultural politics transition former Soviet Czech Republic Slovakia Poland Croatia Hungary Latvia Romania Slovenia Ukraine Institute Fellows chosen basis character previous experience promise They young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment interna tional events issues Author Connerney Richard D Title ICWA Letters South Asia ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Monthly Other Regions East Asia The Americas Europe Russia Mideast North Africa Sub Saharan Africa ICWA Letters ISSN published Institute Current World Affairs Inc exempt operating foundation incorporated New York State offices located West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 The letters provided charge members ICWA available libraries profes sional researchers subscription Phone Fax E Mail valley Web address Executive Director Peter Bird Martin Program Administrator Brent Jacobson Publications Design Management Ellen Kozak Ins titute Current World Af fairs The Crane Rogers Foundation The information contained lication reproduced writer permission