Amidst Demand From Muslim Community, Work on Namchi Burial Site Put on Hold

The Muslim community members on weekday took out a peaceful rally in Namchi hard-to-please that their solely burial site close to the city isn't regenerate into a truck stand by the State authorities. The shopkeepers of the community conjointly closed their business establishments in Namchi.

Senior members of the Muslim community in Namchi said the government’s call to convert their solely burial site into a car parking zone for trucks have hurt their sentiments. They contended that the burial site was used by the Muslim community since pre-merger days in Sikkim. On Friday, the said land was marked as a ‘truck stand’ and works for construction of a truck car parking zone were initiated. In keeping with the community, the land was allotted as a site for the Muslim community of Namchi since 1965 and it's been used for this purpose of these years.

A pathway and prayer platform was conjointly put in at the location in past. “There can be no substitution for our burial site as the graves of our grandparents and relatives graves lie there. No one would even think of vehicles standing atop their ancestors’ graves,” stated Javed Ansari, secretary of Muslim Anjuman Committee, Namchi. Representatives of the Muslim community met the district heads of administration and police later in the day and deliberated on the issue seeking an amicable settlement. It was decided that the work will be stopped at the site and no work will be carried till November 28. It was also decided that no one will enter the site till further talks are held on November 28 in the next meeting.

Meanwhile, just in case of death of any Muslim community member, the community will use the burial site for the aim of burial ceremony. The district administration has asked the community members to come for the meeting with necessary documents supporting their claims on the land located at Jorethang Road close to the south district headquarters so that an early and loveable settlement is reached.

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