PANJIM: The Azad Jamatul Muslimeen Welfare Trust has served a legal notice on the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) demanding an order directing its officials to allow the burial of the dead Muslims from surrounding villages at the St Inez kabrastan.
The notice draws the attention of the CCP to the plight of a family from Taleigao to bury its dead at the St Inez Kabrastan, despite the directions of the Goa Human Rights Commission (GHRC) allowing the burial of the dead from the surrounding villages that do not have their own kabrastan.
Therefore, “We humbly request your honour to issue a memorandum / order / circular and direct the officer concerned to allow burial of the dead Muslims from Taleigao, Santa Cruz, Merces, Bambolim, Curca and St Pedro in St Inez Kabrastan.”
The trust had approached the GHRC praying that CCP be directed to allow burial of dead from the Muslim community residing outside the limits of the CCP till alternative space is arranged or allotted by the local authorities or the State government for the kabrastan.
The single member bench of the GHRC, AD Salkar on April 5 had said “I have no doubt in my mind that it is the paramount duty of the CCP to provide burial ground to all communities within the jurisdiction of the Corporation. The corporation cannot run away from the responsibility on a spacious plea that there is shortage of space to provide the burial facility to the Muslim community.”
