Talking to newsmen at Athgaon on Saturday, GKC president Jamal Ahmed said: “This burial ground dates back to the Ahom era. For the past 600 years people belonging to Islamic faith have been burying corpse in this ground. The bodies of peer-aulias, educationists, freedom fighters, student leaders, ministers, MLAs, social activists and former Assam Prime Minister Syed Mahammed Sadullah and many others were buried in this ground. Space is a problem here. The situation has come to such a pass that earth has to be filled over existing burial places so as to make fresh burial spaces. As though to cap it all, APDCL has been putting pressure on us through the Kamrup(M) district administration to take three kathas of land from the burial ground for the installation of a power sub-station there. As many as 19 jamats of Guwahati have already written to the Deputy Commissioner on not being able to spare any land from the burial ground for the installation of the power sub-station. However, the district administration is out to acquire land even after our pleas. We oppose the decision taken by the administration yet again, and let the people of Assam know this fact.”
