Burial ground encroached in city

GUWAHATI, March 31: A burial ground at Sarania in the heart of Guwahati is under encroachment under the very nose of the administration, reportedly in connivance with leaders of its committee. 

The burial ground – Muchi (cobblers’) Kabarstan – is used, as the me suggests, by cobblers living in the vicinity. They are fewer in number, weaker and penury-driven, and hence are easily browbeaten by the encroachers. The encroachers, on the other hand, are powerful.

The situation has come to such a pass now that the encroachers are about to erect buildings at the burial ground. According to the local cobblers, the encroachers first erected a few shops made of bamboo at the ground. A few bamboo houses sprang up on the burial after a few days. They have given the houses on rent. 

According to some cobblers, the president and the secretary of the burial ground committee are conniving with the encroachers. “They refuse to let us know the income and other matters relating to the burial ground,” one of the cobblers said.

Another cobbler said: “We’ve lodged complaints with the administration many times, but to no avail. The encroachers are powerful and influential. They browbeat us when we try to team up to oppose them. Now they’ve set up a parking lot at the burial ground. If this is allowed to continue, days are not far when they’ll erect buildings there.”