Mohammad Alamullah | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – The Sunni Muslim Cemetery Trust in the Mumbai suburb of Ghatkopar is facing opposition from local residents over its persistent demand for a 40,000 square feet plot adjacent to the existing cemetery.
Engaged in protracted negotiations with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to secure the land, the trust is now facing resistance from certain quarters.
On Wednesday, a group of residents gathered to protest, contending that the plot near Wadhwa Complex is designated as a recreation ground by the BMC. Residents argue that the area, adorned with numerous small and large trees, serves as a crucial green space, providing recreational opportunities for children and elders. Letters opposing the cemetery’s acquisition have been sent to the BMC, underlining the importance of preserving the plot for sports and environmental reasons.
During the protest, residents displayed maps and voiced concerns over the potential removal of trees and conversion of the recreational ground into a cemetery. Slogans filled the air as the community made it clear that they vehemently oppose the handover of the plot to the cemetery trust.
Talking to Clarion India over the phone, Altaf Hussain Munshi, trustee of Ghatkopar Sunni Muslim Cemetery, spoke to Clarion India, alleged the involvement of three builders constructing high-rise buildings nearby, asserting that they manipulated residents to oppose the cemetery’s expansion. Munshi alsi shed light on the ongoing efforts since 2010, including meetings with former state minister Mohammad Arif Naseem Khan, who played a pivotal role in securing the plot for the cemetery.
Munshi expressed the pressing need for additional burial space due to the rising population but lamented that certain individuals were needlessly complicating the issue. He highlighted the deserted nature of the plot, emphasising that it primarily consisted of bushes and refuting claims that it served as a recreational space.
The trustee stressed the importance of fostering unity and brotherhood in the community. Despite the trust’s pursuit to address the burial space shortage, the controversy remains a bone of contention between those advocating for cemetery expansion and those opposing it on environmental and recreational grounds.
The Ghatkopar Sunni Muslim Cemetery Trust continues its engagement with BMC officials, hoping to find a resolution that considers both the pressing need for burial space and the concerns raised by the protesting residents.