MARGAO: There were some heated moments and arguments against the proposal to set up a kabrastan in Margao. It was evident as Borda residents had gathered at Christ Rei hall at Sonsodo to oppose the same on the adjacent Communidade land.
While it was admitted that the Margao Communidade had been given the land to chapel to set up cemetery, the gathered crowd objected to the idea of setting up a kabrastan.
Raia panchayat member Xavier Fernandes referring to information collected through RTI said no development of any kind can be permitted on the proposed land as the gradient is too high. Referring to a representation made to the National Minority Commission by Matin Karol, who is now leading the movement for the kabrastan there, he said Matin himself had stated in that letter that no burial ground can be prepared there as the gradient was 700 where no hill cutting is permissible and also the land was rocky in nature where graves could not be dug and would result in the bodies not decomposing fully.
He also revealed that when the authorities had arrived to demarcate the land for the purpose, they were including land coming under Raia jurisdiction and added that the marker pole was shifted after his intervention.
The Margao Municipal Council in 2010 had resolved to acquire 30,000 square metres of land to prepare a burial ground for three communities — Hindus, Catholics and Muslims. However, after taking possession of the land, MMC resolved to have a burial ground only for the Muslims.
It was also pointed out that the Chief Engineer of PWD in his report following a site inspection on April, 22, 2014 had stated that the gradient of the land was too steep to permit a kabrastan there.
Local parishioner Rosario Dias while regretting that the earlier councillors of MMC had made a mistake, he cautioned the present councillors not to go ahead with such a one-sided decision which might have a repercussion in the next municipal elections. He said when the demarcation was done, it was made through the existing cemetery which would result in not only demolishing the compound wall but also the road going over graves where people have already been buried.
Trying to draw logic to his argument, he said, “A kabrastan could be built in areas which were dominated by them. In Borda there are few Muslims,” he said.
