With just one dilapidated cemetery serving a growing population, Muslims in East Delhi face indignity even after death; Hindus and Muslims join hands to demand basic rights through peaceful protest and court action
NEW DELHI – In the national capital, where skyscrapers rise and development is often flaunted as a sign of progress, Muslims in Yamunapar locality face a reality that feels far removed from modernity; they are struggling for something as basic as a graveyard.
With a rising population and increasing number of deaths, there is only one run-down cemetery available to the entire community. The situation becomes unbearable during the monsoon, when waterlogging turns the ground into a swamp. Families are forced to endure both grief and indignity as they struggle to find “two yards of land” to bury their dead.
“It is a shame that in Delhi, even after 78 years of Independence, Muslims cannot bury their loved ones with dignity,” said Abdul Qayyum, a local resident. “The cemetery is full, broken, and as it rains it is impossible even to offer namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayers) peacefully.”
Residents allege that their pleas have been falling on deaf ears for decades. Despite repeated requests to elected representatives and the administration, no new burial grounds have been allocated.
“We have gone to every office, every politician. We were promised facilities, but nothing has changed,” said Mohammed Arif, who has lived in the area for 40 years. “When the city builds highways and metro lines in months, why can’t they provide us with a proper cemetery?”
The crisis has now reached such a point that residents have taken to the streets. Led by Congress district president Kamal Gazi, members of the Muslim community staged a peaceful protest in Delhi’s Welcome area. In a rare and heartening display, Hindus from the locality also joined the demonstration, lending their voice to the demand for justice.
“This is not a Muslim issue alone. This is a matter of basic dignity and humanity,” said Kamal Gazi. “If there is no proper cemetery, it affects every family here. To deny this is injustice.”
Protesters carried placards and raised slogans demanding immediate allocation of new land for a graveyard. Many described the sight of Hindus and Muslims standing shoulder-to-shoulder as a symbol of real harmony, something that contrasted sharply with divisive politics often played in the name of religion.
Local Hindu resident Rajesh Sharma, who joined the protest, said: “We may follow different religions, but we live in the same neighbourhood. If our Muslim brothers do not get space to bury their dead, it is our duty to stand with them. Today we are united.”
After years of inaction, the residents are now preparing to take the matter to court. Lawyers and social activists from the area are working on a petition to demand that the government immediately allocate additional land for Muslim burials.
“We have no other option left. We will file a petition because our fundamental rights are being violated. To deny burial space is to deny dignity in death,” said advocate Saima Parveen, who has offered to assist the residents in drafting their case.
For many in the area, the issue goes beyond religious identity. They see it as a fundamental humanitarian crisis. The image of families waiting helplessly with bodies because there is no clean, dignified burial ground has left the community deeply shaken.
“They say even the Rohingya have a place to bury their dead, but we, citizens of India living in the capital, do not. This is worse than second-class treatment,” said one elderly protester in tears.
As Delhi moves forward with ambitious plans of becoming a “world-class city,” residents of Yamunapar are left asking a simple question: how can a city claim progress when its citizens struggle for a grave to bury their dead?
For now, the community’s fight continues—on the streets and soon in the courtroom.
