MARGAO
The burning issue of kabrastan has taken centre stage in the commercial capital just days ahead of the ensuing Assembly polls.
Even as key political figures, including the two sitting MLAs of Margao and Fatorda Digambar Kamat and Vijai Sardesai, respectively, besides the ruling BJP have been maintaining silence on the demand for reverting the Sonsodo land zone for kabrastan, a group of citizens on Tuesday led by Margao municipal councillor Mahesh Amonkar, Salcete Muslim Forum President Riyaz Sheikh and Andrew Sequeira sat on a hunger strike in front of the municipal building.
Citizens from all walks of life, irrespective of their political affiliations, expressed their solidarity with the protesters, who are put up in a makeshift tent on the pavement of the municipal building.
Their single-point agenda is simple “ build the kabrastan at the Sonsodo land acquired by the Margao Municipal Council a decade ago and fulfil the long-pending demand of the Muslim community.
They questioned the decision for changing the zone of the Sonsodo land, which was specifically acquired for the purpose of setting up the burial grounds for the Muslim community in the year 2011.
The protesters charged the rulers of exploiting the minority community with an eye on the vote bank, accusing them of not fulfilling the long-pending issue.
Mahesh Amonkar told the media that he had set a deadline of eight days for the government and the authorities to change the Sonsodo land zone from low-cost housing to kabrastan as per the initial proposal. “Since the authorities did not concede to my demand, I and other citizens have decided to go on an indefinite hunger striker from Tuesday,” he said.
Riyaz Sheikh pointed out that no one had the right to change the Sonsodo land zone from kabrastan to housing, demanding the zone be reverted in the Margao ODP. “Our politicians have only treated the minority community as their vote bank. It is the fundamental right of the Muslim community to have a decent burial ground,” he added.
The burning issue has been plaguing the Muslim community, which has a significant presence not only in Margao and Fatorda, but in the neighbouring Curtorim and Navelim constituencies.
At the centre of the controversy is the change in the zone in the Margao ODP of the land acquired by the Margao Municipal Council a decade ago with the sole objective of setting up the kabrastan for the Muslim community.
In 2019, the SGPDA changed the zone of the acquired land admeasuring 30,000 square meters for allowing low-cost housing in the face of protests from the residents of Borda and Gogol over the proposal to set up the kabrastan near the Christian cemetery.
