Calls for a detailed report from MMC
MARGAO, JUNE 17
The National Commission for the Minorities seems to have taken serious note of the absence of burial facilities for the minorities in the Commercial Capital.
Days after the Minority panel rapped the State Government and issued directions to acquire land for a Kabrastan for the city’s Muslim population, the Commission has now taken up cudgels for the Christian community as well.
Following a complaint from the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Grace Church, Margao, the Commission has called for a detailed report from the Margao Municipal Council on the difficulties faced by the Christian community to bury the dead.
In fact, the Delhi-based minority panel has requested the civic body to file a report on the matter for the consideration of the Commission within a period, not exceeding 21 days from the receipt of its letter.
Already in the dock over its inability to provide space for a Kabrastan for the city’s Muslim population, the Margao Municipal Council finds itself in a tight spot over the long-pending demand of the Christian community.
This is not the first time that the Grace Church has knocked the doors of the Margao civic body for space for a cemetery. In the absence of a cemetery of its own, the parishioners are forced either to approach the neighbouring Holy Spirit Church or the Navelim Church for burial of the dead.
In his petition to the Margao Municipal Council, Grace Church Parish Priest, Fr Cleto Pereira has requested the civic body to acquire sufficient Communidade or government land in and around Margao to be used as a burial ground for the parishioners of the Church.
The parish priest has asked the civic body to look into the unanimous resolution passed by the Goa Legislative Assembly, which was moved by then and incumbent Chief Minister, Digambar Kamat during the tenure of former Chief Minister, Luizinho Faleiro.
In his petition, Fr Pereira recalled that the resolution to acquire and allot land admeasuring 99,513 square metres belonging to the Margao Communidade behind St Sebastian Church was passed unanimously by the House under the Chief Ministership of Luizinho Faleiro to fulfil the promises made to both the communities.
Incidentally, the National Minority Commission of Minorities had recently directed the Goa government to acquire suitable for a kabrastan for the Margao’s Muslim community within six months and has asked for a progress report every month.
The minority panel had pulled up the State Government for failing in its statutory duty and constitutionally obligations to allot suitable land for a Muslim Kabrastan in Margao.
In fact, the commission has said it is not only a clear case of communal discrimination against Muslim minority community, but also a categorical case of harassments and illegal deprivation on one pretext or the other by the State Government. “The State Government has failed completely to carry out its statutory duty and constitutional obligations for allotment of suitable land for Muslim kabrastan even after passing of a resolution in Goa State Legislative Assembly way back in 1999”, the Commission had noted.
