With kabrastan on anvil, other faiths hopeful of burial spaces

Margao: With the state government bracing up to construct a kabrastan for the Muslim community at Sonsoddo, Margao within six months in accordance with the high court’s recent ruling in the matter, the decks have been cleared for the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) to implement its plans for providing burial space for persons professing different faiths.
The inordinate delay in the construction of the kabrastan had led the MMC to put this plan on the backburner.
The MMC's predicament was reflected in the action taken report submitted by the department of urban development to the Goa Human Rights Commission in 2018.
The report had pointed out that “within this land that was supposed to be developed for the purpose of kabrastan, a part of it is to be reserved as a burial ground for such persons who were from different faiths.”
The civic body had in August 2016 passed an order making it incumbent on the managing committees of cemeteries, crematoriums and burial grounds within the jurisdiction of Margao municipality to demarcate some portion of the existing facility “for any person professing any faith or to arrange for a separate common burial ground within the cemetery/crematorium”.
This was a sequel to a petition filed by Dr Anthony Rodrigues, who has been spearheading the movement for a dignified funeral for all, over the issue.
The MMC orderhad pointed out that as per the Goa Municipalities Act, 1968, it was the statutory obligation of each municipal council to provide for last rites facilities. In the same order, the MMC had directed that one out of the four wings of the St Sebastian Church cemetery at Ravanfond be reserved for persons professing any faith. Though the order was soon withdrawn by the MMC following objections from certain quarters, Rodrigues got the move challenged leading to the directorate of urban development restoring MMC’s earlier order.
Speaking to TOI, Rodrigues said that it was imperative that religious bodies set aside all differences and let humanity take precedence.
He called into question the failure of the authorities in executing its own order of August 2016.