Short of land, Christians, Muslims forced to share graveyard

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 7

Christians and Muslims in the state are forced to share graveyards due to land shortage. With politicians having usurped panchayat land in several villages, land is in short supply.

Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today directed all Deputy Commissioners to demarcate burial grounds for Muslims as per revenue records in their respective districts. However, the state government is yet to fulfil its promises made to the Christians.

The 2011 Census estimates the total number of Christians at 5 lakh, though sources say their population has reached 15 lakh. Despite several announcements made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the community is yet to be allotted more land for graveyard.

Two months ago, around 5,000 Christians of Rama township, 40 km from Bathinda, roamed for days, looking for space to bury a body. Finally, some leaders asked the government to intervene and four kanals were allotted to them. Residents of Devidas village in Gurdaspur had to bury a body near a nullah due to unavailability of land. The residents are still faced with land shortage.

At the common graveyard for Sansarpur/Dhina, Pholariwal (7,000 Christians) and other villages, building epitaphs has been disallowed, because it blocks space for other burials. Christians, Muslims jointly use graveyards here.

“Christian denominations in the state include sects such as Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist, Methodist, Anglican, Salvation Army, CNI Church and Pentecostal. The irony is that one denomination doesn’t allow another denomination member’s burials on its land (unless in mercy cases). Pentecostals, who have the fewest graveyards are the worst affected in the state,” said Hamid Masih, president of the Punjab Christian Movement.

Though Ludhiana (2 lakh Christians), Gurdaspur (3 lakh), Amritsar (1 lakh) and Jalandhar (60,000) have the biggest Christian population, there is little land for graveyards. The Malwa region is the worst hit with graveyards available only in Patiala, Bathinda and Sangrur.

Christians are taking their deceased to Patiala or Bathinda from Mansa, which has a Christian population of 30,000 due to space shortage. Christians in Malerkotla bury their dead in Ludhiana, Sangrur or Moga.

Similar problems have surfaced at Dera Baba Nanak, Ajnala, Fatehgarh Churian, Batala, Kadian, Raja Sansi, Valtoha, Zeera, Ferozepur Cantt and Fazilka areas.

Munawar Masih, Chairman of the Punjab State Minorities Commission, said, “The worst crisis is in Gurdaspur, where the land provided is said to be a bit low-lying. However, disputes at Devidas and Lameen Kalan have been sorted out. Two acres have been allotted for graveyards in Ludhiana and Mohali. We will sort out the issue in Tarn Taran within a month.”