Focus on food at Padayachie funeral
WHAT’S in a funeral? one may ask. The man is dead and it matters little how his body is disposed of – whether he’s given a pauper’s burial, burnt on an open funeral pyre or buried in an oak casket with all the extravagance and ceremony that has come to characterise funerals among the wealthy these days.
For many cultures, death is treated with dignity and respect. The Mayans, Aztecs, Incas and Egyptians performed elaborate rituals for the departed souls and embalmed their bodies in the hope that one day they would rise from the dead. So, too, with the Hindu culture with its firm belief in reincarnation.
But then the mighty ANC tramples on the religious rights of Hindus by serving meat at Roy Padayachie's funeral (“Padayachie food fury,” Herald, May 13).
That is a downright insult to Hindus. To add to the fury, two old Hindu sages, rather than condemn the ANC’S actions in the strongest terms possible, play it safe by adopting a neutral attitude.
So, too, family spokesman Solly Pillay says we should not spoil the honour given to Roy, “an uncrowned king”.
Yes, he was the quiet Indian, an ANC lackey but no leader of his community.
The argument by Ashwin Trikamjee that “it’s likely that government officials were unaware” is a rather feeble one. Pundit Lokesh Maharaj should have kept quiet rather than said it was “a private arrangement between the state and the family”.
Their loyalty should be to their faith; they should not pander to the wishes of the ANC.
President Jacob Zuma cannot claim ignorance of Hindu traditions. He has many Indian friends and has been a guest at their functions. A man so steeped in tradition, steadfastly defending his Zulu heritage and his right to have as many wives as he wishes, should be well aware of the traditions and cultures of our racially diverse society.
It is repugnant to a Hindu to serve meat at a funeral and that ancient tradition should have been respected. I REFER to the article in the Sunday Tribune Herald headlined “Padayachie Food Fury” which shows how some people failed to honour and respect the deceased, and the community was religiously intolerant in respect of the type of food served.
The funeral of the late Radhakrishna “Roy” Padayachie was a state funeral and a private affair.
It was his personal involvement that led to the 150-year celebration of Indians’ arrival in SA and it was his wish that the contribution and legacy of the indentured labourers were not forgotten, but written into history.
Any mourner who goes to a funeral goes there to pay his last respects to a departed soul and give support to the bereaved family. Those are the noblest acts that are required in this time of need.
It’s unfortunate that some mourners publicly disparaged the type of meals served.
This was a Hindu funeral where vegetables should have been served, but meat dishes were also offered. Can the bereaved family be blamed when this was a state funeral?
This issue did not deserve such prominence in the media. The bereaved need to find peace within themselves, and face life ahead without their loved ones. All they need is the support of people to help them find that peace.
Unfortunately, some mourners moaned about the meat dishes served – which was not the fault of the bereaved family.
Where is the religious tolerance, and what is the focus of these mourners?
The type of food served at a funeral or any religious event should not be a barrier that divides fellow South Africans.
We all need to grow in the true spirit of ubuntu. As long as the family has done justice to their loved one, that is all that matters.
Religious tolerance is what the world needs.
Let the soul of my close friend, Minister Roy Padayachie, rest in peace.
Mourners, stop moaning and pay your respects to the deceased honestly.
Let God be the judge.