PANAJI: At a time when Muslim communities are struggling to have burial grounds (Kabrastan) across the state, the Corporation of City of Panaji (CCP) has stirred a major controversy by declaring that bodies of deceased Muslims from outside Panaji will not be permitted for burial at the Kabrastan in St Inez, Panaji.
In its letter to the Jamat UL Muslamin Gansia Sunni Trust on September 19, the CCP has stated: "It is to inform you that the Muslim cemetery (kabrastan) at St Inez owned by this Corporation is to bury only the deceased persons of Panaji, who are residents within CCP limits."
"Due to limited space, bodies of Muslim communities from outside Panaji city limits cannot be allowed to be buried in this cemetery/kabrastan."
"You are, therefore, requested to please note that persons who expire elsewhere, i.e. out of CCP jurisdiction, are not allowed to be buried at the Muslim cemetery (kabrastan), St Inez, Panaji", stated the letter.
When contacted for comments in the matter, CCP Mayor Surendra Furtado stated that the resolution regarding the kabrastan issue had been taken during the time when Carolina Po was the CCP mayor.
He, however, declined to explain how and why the matter had come up at this point in time and did not divulge further details in the matter.
The CCP's decision has not gone down well with the Muslim community.
Reacting to the CCP's directives, Azad Jamatul Muslimeen Welfare Trust President Sayed Manzoor Kadri said, "Since Liberation, we have been fighting to have kabrastans in Goa. As there are very few kabrastans, if any person passes away, we have to take the body for burial to a nearby kabrastan, or in some cases, to their native places outside the State."
Requesting the State government to have designated places for kabrastans, Kadri said, "The State government should look into the matter at the earliest and create such burial facilities for the Muslim community."
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STATES THE CCP LETTER
TO JAMAT UL TRUST ...
* The Muslim cemetery (kabrastan) at St Inez owned by this Corporation is to bury only the deceased persons of Panaji, who are residents within CCP limits
* Due to limited space, bodies of Muslim communities from outside Panaji city limits cannot be allowed to be buried in this cemetery/kabrastan
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Resolution regarding the kabrastan issue had been taken during the time when Carolina Po was the CCP mayor
- Surendra Furtado, CCP Mayor
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Muslim body knocks on doors
of Human Rights Commission
PANAJI: Decrying the decision of the Corporation of City of Panaji to prohibit burial of bodies of deceased Muslims from outside Panaji at the Muslim Kabrastan in St Inez, Panaji, the Azad Jamatul Muslimeen Welfare Trust has petitioned the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) in the matter.
In its petition to GHRC on Tuesday, the Trust has stated, "Since liberation of Goa, the Muslim community in the State has faced difficulty in having burial grounds in order to lay to rest a dead person. The CCP is denying/not allowing the burial the person of Muslim community who resides outside the limits of the CCP on the pretext of limited space."
Pointing out that there is no kabrastan (burial ground) for people from the Muslim community residing in the areas of St Cruz, Merces, Bambolim, Curca and Taleigao, the petition stated: "This is a serious issue from the perspective of violation of human rights and needs urgent attention."
The Trust has prayed before the GHRC that CCP be directed to allow burial of the deceased residing outside the limits of CCP, till alternate space is allotted by authorities for a kabrastan.
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