T he Corporation of the City of Panaji has opened up a communal debate within the Muslim fraternity in Panaji when it announced that bodies of deceased Muslims from outside its jurisdiction will not be permitted for burial at St Inez kabrastan.
The CCP in a letter to the Jamat UL Muslamin Gansia Sunni Trust has cited lack of space while stating that the burial ground owned by the CCP will be open only to residents within the CCP jurisdiction. The decision means that the doors of this kabrastan will be shut for many Muslim families living along the suburbs of the city.
CCP and the Jamat UL Muslamin Gansia Sunni Trust, which is managing the burial ground, are on the same page on this issue and have their reasons. The burial ground of around 700 sq mts land which was acquired way back in 1983, has been used over the years by all Muslims. It's been a ‘resting place' for all those who have migrated from outside the State and for even those bodies that remain unclaimed at the GMC, leaving very limited space for the people of the soil.
The Jamat Trust, which is not charging a penny for the services, has been dealing with a different set of issues. With an increase in the number of bodies, there have been instances of bodies exhumed before time while in some cases there are permanent stone structures being erected near graves. On the ground, the Trust has not been bestowed with any powers and are left as bystanders implementing the orders of the CCP.
The kabrastan issue has been raging in the state for
over a decade now and in some places it has taken
communal overtones. The fast changing equations between communities were on display recently when a section of the minority community got together to strongly oppose plans of a kabrastan at Sonsodo, even fiercely questioning the role and presence of Fr Maverick Fernandes at the gathering. It was only when TCP minister Vijai Sardesai assured that the MoU for kabrastan would be scrapped that tempers calmed down.
Kabrastan, which has been a major issue across Goa, including Margao needs to be addressed on priority. It is unfair on the part of the families to scout for a burial ground, and worse still take the body to their native places outside the state for the final rites. Goa is known to be a place where people of all faiths and religions co-existed peacefully. Let there be no politics based on communities. Government and local bodies should step in and address issues of burial grounds with an open mind.
The CCP in a letter to the Jamat UL Muslamin Gansia Sunni Trust has cited lack of space while stating that the burial ground owned by the CCP will be open only to residents within the CCP jurisdiction. The decision means that the doors of this kabrastan will be shut for many Muslim families living along the suburbs of the city.
CCP and the Jamat UL Muslamin Gansia Sunni Trust, which is managing the burial ground, are on the same page on this issue and have their reasons. The burial ground of around 700 sq mts land which was acquired way back in 1983, has been used over the years by all Muslims. It's been a ‘resting place' for all those who have migrated from outside the State and for even those bodies that remain unclaimed at the GMC, leaving very limited space for the people of the soil.
The Jamat Trust, which is not charging a penny for the services, has been dealing with a different set of issues. With an increase in the number of bodies, there have been instances of bodies exhumed before time while in some cases there are permanent stone structures being erected near graves. On the ground, the Trust has not been bestowed with any powers and are left as bystanders implementing the orders of the CCP.
The kabrastan issue has been raging in the state for
over a decade now and in some places it has taken
communal overtones. The fast changing equations between communities were on display recently when a section of the minority community got together to strongly oppose plans of a kabrastan at Sonsodo, even fiercely questioning the role and presence of Fr Maverick Fernandes at the gathering. It was only when TCP minister Vijai Sardesai assured that the MoU for kabrastan would be scrapped that tempers calmed down.
Kabrastan, which has been a major issue across Goa, including Margao needs to be addressed on priority. It is unfair on the part of the families to scout for a burial ground, and worse still take the body to their native places outside the state for the final rites. Goa is known to be a place where people of all faiths and religions co-existed peacefully. Let there be no politics based on communities. Government and local bodies should step in and address issues of burial grounds with an open mind.
