NEW DELHI: The Muslims will be left without burial space in the National Capital if remedial measures such as allocation of land and provision of temporary graves are not arranged for them, the Delhi Minorities Commission has warned. After a survey of all Muslim graveyards in Delhi, the Commission pointed out that against an average of 13,000 Muslim funerals every year, there were 29,370 vacancies in the existing graveyards till 2017.
“This means that at the present pace, there will be no space left after one year from now unless some remedial strategies are adopted,” the report reads. According to records, there are 704 Muslim graveyards in various parts of Delhi, out of which only 131 are functional. “Out of the functioning 131 graveyards, 16 are not operational due to litigation, while 43 others have been encroached upon by different entities.”
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had released the report, prepared by the minorities’ panel, on Thursday. The study titled ‘Problems and Status of Muslim Graveyards in Delhi’ was conducted by the Commission through Human Development Society in 2017. Islam is followed by 12.86% of the Delhi’s total population, as per the 2011 Census.
According to the Commission, most graveyards in the city are small, measuring 10 bighas or less and 46 per cent of them measure five bighas or less. The report further states very few graveyards were developed in the recent past despite the growing need due to the rise in population as a result of natural growth and immigration from other parts of the country. As per the report, the findings were already presented to the Delhi government, various departments and organisations to plan a remedy.
Same problems for Christians as well
It is not just the Muslims who face this problem. The Christians — comprising 0.87 per cent of the National Capital’s total population — are also in need for more cemeteries to rest the dead.