Thiruvananthapuram: A bill ensuring the funeral of parishioners in cemeteries belonging to the respective parishes will be only applicable to the two factions of the Jacobite Church.

The Kerala government has given its assent on a recommendation of the Legislative Assembly subject committee in this regard after the other Christian denominations objected to an earlier proposal to make the law applicable to all Christians in the state. The opposition had also warned about the social repercussions that could follow a universal application of the law to all denominations other than the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church.

The government had earlier issued an ordinance to grant the right of funeral in the cemeteries to parishioners of all Christian churches. It was later followed by a bill with the same provisions though the original intent of legislation was to lay out a legal framework to solve a property dispute between the two Jacobite factions. The government’s decision was challenged by other churches.

The Syro-Malabar Church registered its protest in writing. So did the Congress-led opposition. The legislative subject committee recommended a narrower scope to the bill at the consultation stage.

The chief minister tabled the subject committee recommendation before the house to limit the application of the new law to only the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church whose title disputes have often spilled over the street. The dispute has even prevented church members from getting buried in church-run cemeteries. The government is wary of such incidents that could snowball into law and order problems.

The government said that the law was necessitated as the disputes could not be settled even by a cabinet sub committee.