Cremation of Gujarati family likely in Winnipeg as $70,000 raised
Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Jan, 2022 12:26 PM
With their relatives in India deciding not to bring back their bodies, the four members of a Gujarati family who froze to death on January 19 while trying to enter the US illegally from Manitoba are likely to be cremated in Winnipeg.
However, no decision has been taken yet.
A gofundme has raised US$70,000 for the victim family.
The bodies of the four family members – who have been identified after autopsies as Jagdish Patel, 39, his wife Vaishaliben Patel, 37, daughter Vihangi Patel, 11, and son Dharmik Patel, 3 – are currently lying in a morgue in Winnipeg.
Jaswant Patel, a cousin of the deceased man in their native village Dingucha near Ahmedabad, said that the family wants their funerals to take place in Canada.
The Indian High Commission in Ottawa, which is in touch with the victims' family in Gujarat, will take the final decision on the matter.
As the Gujarati community of Winnipeg awaits a decision on the funerals, it held an online 'Shanti Path' (prayer meeting) for the victim family on Saturday.
"Over 60 people joined us. We prayed for the family. Our local MP and the Mayor were among those who conveyed their condolences," said organiser Bhadresh Bhatt of the Hindu Sabha of Manitoba.
Bhatt, who has been coordinating with the Indian High Commission since the tragedy came to light, said mission officials are in touch with the relatives in Gujarat of the victim family.
"Since the victim family has no relatives and friends in Winnipeg, the Indian High Commission will finally take a decision of the funerals – whether they will be held in Winnipeg," he said.
Hitting out at Navjot Singh Sidhu, the BJP on Monday said that Punjab Congress chief is creating unwarranted fears in the minds of farmers by suggesting that the Centre had plans to do away with the MSP system.
After literally turning a deaf ear to the farmers’ issues for over a year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, November 19, 2021, in a dramatic move, announced the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws, which were at the heart of the farmers’ protests across the country.
Earlier, Dhesi sent a letter, signed by over 100 British MPs and Lords, to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the ongoing farmers' protests, asking him to raise this matter with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi when they next liaise.
The Chief Minister told the media here that for more than a year since the Central government had brought three agriculture laws for the benefit of farmers, especially small and marginal ones, unfortunately, some farmer unions had been protesting on the Delhi borders.
While the Centre's announcement to repeal three farm laws is seen as a political decision with eye on forthcoming assembly polls in five states, the BJP claims that it has nothing to do with elections as the party has won many states after laws were passed by the Parliament.
On January 12 this year, the Supreme Court had stayed the implementation of the three farm laws after scores of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh pitched their tents on various Delhi borders in protest against the three laws.
