MARGAO: It will be three decades in 2017 that the minority Christian community from South Goa had first knocked on the doors of the government for a small burial ground for the dead to rest in peace.
Sadly, what the community had received over the last 28 years is nothing but assurances from successive governments and promises from the authorities including the district collectors to address their long-pending demand.
That’s not all. None of the authorities, right from the office of the District Collector to the Margao Municipal Council to the Director of Municipal Administration, have ever said ‘no’ to the plea of this small minority community for a burial ground; however, members of the community say the proposal has been going round in circles with the burial ground not taking shape till date.
Treasurer of the South Goa Christian Trust, Sydney Baracho, told the media on Friday that the Christian community from South Goa is facing hardships for want of burial ground. “If any member of our community expires in South Goa, the only option left for us is to take the mortal remains to Sada-Vasco. Many a time, relatives of the dead are unable to transport the bodies from far flung areas of South Goa to Sada. That’s the reason why we had been running from pillar to post and continuously knocking on the doors of successive governments to provide us a decent space for a burial ground,” Baracho said.
He said the Christian community has been asking for a small area admeasuring 1000-1500 sq mts to take care of their requirements the dead. “Now, we are being given to understand that the jurisdiction in respect of burial ground rest with the civic bodies,” he said, adding that the community would again request the authorities to give them land in and around Margao.
Seeing the plight of the community, Aam Admi leader Rajshree Nagarsekar said the party will take up cudgels for the Christian community with pleas made to the Congress and BJP coming a cropper. “Whether one belongs to the Christian, Muslim or any other community, every human being is entitled to a decent burial,” she added.
