Family protests as Haridwar DM allows ashram to bury Nigamanand's body

The Haridwar district administration on Thursday morning ruled that Matri Sadan Ashram would be allowed to bury the body of Swami Nigamanand, an environmentalist who died fasting to save the Ganga in a Dehradun hospital recently, even as his estranged family members insisted on his cremation.

Haridwar district magistrate R. Meenakshi Sundaram tried to resolve the issue through talks with both the parties. However, after the talks failed, the DM allowed Matri Sadan Ashram head Swami Shivanand, who also happened to be the mentor of Nigamanand, to give his body a samadhi (burial).

The DM's order came after Nigamanand's close relatives refused to allow his samadhi. They refused to accept the decision and the administration's offer to attend Nigamanand's last rites. They said that they would continue with their protest to demand the body.

"We have spoken to both the parties. As per civil law, if a person has taken sanyas, he has given up his past life and entered a new phase of life. Keeping that in mind, Swami Nigamanand will be laid to rest in a samadhi and we would appreciate that his family takes part in that ceremony," Sundaram said.

Nigamanand's father Prakash Jha told the DM that he would make every possible effort to get his son's body. He even threatened to self-immolate if the body was not handed over to him.

Earlier, Nigamanand's brothers had approached the Haridwar district administration to claim the body. Their contention was however rejected by Shivanand who claimed that Nigamanand had estranged from his family in 2002. He also accused the family of trying to use Nigamanand's death for their personal benefits.

"They have been barred from coming to the ashram since 2002. This is the reason why they did not come to meet him at the hospital. And if they were really concerned, why didn't they come and see him when he was in a coma," asked Shivanand on Thursday.

On the other side, Nigamanad's family sat outside the Matri Sadan Ashram demanding the body for the funeral. The ashram has been insisting on burying the body and was not allowing the family on its compound.

Even Nigamanand's brother Satyam Kumar Ashish confirmed that the former had separated from the family nine years ago. He however added that it was Nigamanand who had left them and that they still considered him part of the family.

Family protests as Haridwar DM allows ashram to bury Nigamanand's body