MARGAO
Let down by politicians with empty promises to resolve the decades-old kabrastan issue, members of the Muslim community from Margao and outside have vowed to support only those politicians in the 2022 Assembly election who fulfill the long-standing aspirations of the community for burial grounds.
With the proposed kabrastan at Sonsodo down and out and the plans to set up the burial grounds at Khareband yet to take off due to land issues, the kabrastan issue once again took the centrestage as Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar stepped at the Pajifond kabrastan on Thursday accompanied by Congress-turned-BJP leader Urfan Mulla and leaders of the community.
While the Rajya Sabha MP promised to take up works such as construction of compound wall and illumination of the kabrastan site at Pajifond, with a further promise to take up with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to resolve the long-pending issue, members of the Muslim community rued that the minority community has only been used at the time of elections for votes and later ignored.
In fact, general secretary of Jamia Masjid, Atik Banducda said the Muslim community is facing a lot of issues, including kabrastan land, saying it is high time the politicians and parties resolve the long-pending issues before seeking votes from the community. “When elections come, they invite the Muslim leaders, who have promised to resolve the kabrastan and other issues for the last two decades and half, but in vain.”
Saying that kabrastan is not the only issue staring at the community, Atik said political parties have given tickets for members of the community in constituencies where they will not win. “We want to tell all the politicians and parties to resolve our issues and then seek our votes. We do not want any more promises, but action on the ground,” he said, promising to rally behind only those who walk the talk on kabrastan and other issues. “Let the politicians prove they are all for the community, and we will move door-to-door for their success in the election,” he added.
Congress-turned-BJP leader Urfan Mulla said top BJP leaders, led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, BJP organising secretary Satish Dhond and others have promised to stand by the Muslim community and sort out the issues staring at the community.
Taking potshots at Margao MLA Digambar Kamat, Urfan said he is ready for a debate with the Margao MLA to show how many jobs he had given to the Muslim community during his 25-year stint as MLA and during his five-year tenure as Chief Minister. “I am ready for a debate with the Margao MLA on what he had done to the Muslim community and the jobs he has provided to the Muslim youth,” he asserted.
Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar expressed his shock that the Pajifond kabrastan has reached a state of saturation with hardly any land left to bury the dead. “I will speak to the Chief Minister and also try to get the status of the 30,000 square meters of land acquired at Sonsodo for the burial grounds and plans to set up the kabrastan at Khareband,” the MP said, exuding confidence that the government will work out a solution to the long-pending issue.
