The Cabinet has approved a draft ordinance to end the disputes between the Orthodox and the Jacobite factions on burying bodies.
Briefing reporters on the Cabinet decisions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Wednesday that in the wake of the raging disputes between the two factions over burials, the meeting decided to recommend the Governor to promulgate an ordinance and cleared the draft.
As per the ordinance, members of either factions could use graveyard in their parish after conducting the last rites by a priest of their choice outside the church.
This follows the disputes between the two factions over burying bodies. (The Orthodox faction that got a Supreme Court order in its favour on managing churches had come face to face at various places).
Mr. Vijayan clarified that the ordinance does not infringe on the tenets laid by the court order and was aimed at ensuring rule of law. The government would take action against those trying to disrupt the rule of law. Repeated efforts of the government to evolve a consensus among the factions had failed to attain fruition owing to the obstinate stance of the Orthodox who stayed off the parley.
