Myriad problems haunt city Kabarsthan

GUWAHATI, March 19: The historic Guwahati Kabarsthan at Athgaon is in dire straits. The Kabarsthan, which is believed to be a heritage of the Ahom era of the State's history, is now facing myriad crippling problems allegedly due to the mismanagement of the Kabarsthan Committee. The situation has come to such a pass today that while the graveyard, one of the largest in the State, is not witnessing any developmental work within its campus for the past about three years, its management committee and its lessee traders are now locked in acrimonious disputes. Meanwhile, agitated over the alleged misdemeanor of some of the Committee members, 11 employees of the Kabarsthan left it lock, stock, and barrel tendering resignations. Moreover, it is widely resented that the Kabarsthan Committee is running with a nominated general-secretary for about two years now without there being a general meeting approving his nomination. The present Kabarsthan Committee (management committee) was formed on October 10, 1999. Earlier, due to the efforts of the Kabarsthan Committee, particularly since 1982, the Kabarsthan could raise its own fund, ensure a monthly income of about Rs 40,000 in a regular basis, erect boundary walls around its about 65 bigha area, construct several pathways, arrange two power generators, dig two tanks, erect a guard wall measuring 6,356 square feet along with Guwahati Municipal Corporation's (GMC) storm water drain running along the northern boundary of the Kabarsthan, procure an ambulance from donors, and also could give itself a proper atmosphere befitting its sanctity. Moreover, the Kabarsthan Committee, prior to October 10, 1999, had also arranged for a handcart and its puller to pick up the unidentified bodies from various parts of the city, besides improving the graveyard for unidentified bodies (Lawaris Murda) at Chabipool. In addition to all these, the previous Committees of the Kabarsthan also built a mosque at the Kabarsthan, cleared an area for an Idgah inside the Kabarsthan and erected boundary walls to segregate the Kabarsthan and the Idgah. But, unfortunately, after assuming charge, the present Kabarsthan Committee allegedly started undoing all the good works done by their predecessors. The high-handedness of some of the committee members reached such a state that 98 lessees, who have been doing their business from the Kabarsthan sheds, had to draw the attention of the advisor of the Kabarsthan Committee on September 5 last year, alleging that a group of youths led by the Committee assistant secretaries Rajiv Ali and Najmul Haque (Dipu), were demanding money from them at the rates varying between Rs 5,000 and Rs 50,000. And when the lessees did not comply with the demand of the youths, the complainants said, the entrance to their sheds was kept under lock and key by those youths for 15 days, since March 26, 2000, to mount pressure on the lessees. Moreover, the complainants alleged, those youths were deployed by the Committee president Haji Mohabbat Ali and general secretary in-charge Rumizul Haque to disconnect power supply lines of the lessees and to lock their sheds on several occasions. Besides, the Committee has also discontinued the practice of issuing receipts to the lessees against the payment they make, the complainants alleged. The complainants also alleged that the youths accompanied by Rajiv Ali, were also doing sacrilegious acts like bathing in the Janaja tank of the Kabarsthan, drinking inside the Kabarsthan with the full knowledge of the committee president and other office-bearers of the Committee. They also alleged that Rajiv Ali and Najmul Haque were also involved in 'cases of burglary and dacoity'. Infact, the Paltan Bazar Police Station had forwarded Najmul Haque on October 24, 1998 to the Chief Judicial Magistrate's (Kamrup) Court in connection with a case of forcefully entering the house of Shivji Roy, son of Late Sarjug Roy of Birubari Professor Colony and committing a crime of looting there. Najmul was armed with a pistol and accompanied by Rajiv Haque, the forwarding report of the Paltan Bazar Police Station said. Lessees like Khadaru Mia, were forced to move the court against the Kabarsthan Committee praying for judicial intervention in matters of removing the locks from their sheds (Court of the Civil Judge, Senior Division, No. 3, TS No. 236/2000). The Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) No. 3 also served show-cause notice on the Kabarsthan Committee on February 26 last, in connection with a case (TS No. 37/2001) filed by 54 lessees on a dispute over possession of the sheds. Nine employees of the Kabarsthan tendered their resignations on February 8 last, being agitated over the alleged misdemeanor of some of the Committee office-bearers. The others followed them later on. But, the Committee members allegedly prevented some of them from taking along their belongings. Faced with such a situation, several leading personalities. Including some members of the present Kabarsthan Committee, organised a public meeting at the Lakhtokia Sirat Library on February 18 last, and made an appeal to the president of the Kabarsthan Committee to hold a general meeting of the Committee by March 11, besides a request not to accept the resignations of the employees. The meeting also decided to take up the case of the threat issued to the life of the employees by some Kabarsthan Committee members, with the Bharalumukh Police. But, till date the Kabarsthan Committee is yet to take any step in response to the appeal made by the February 18 public meeting. It is worth mentioning here that the Guwahati Kabarsthan has in it the graves of the personalities like former premier of Assam Sir Sadulla, Marhum Muhibulla Saheb, Marhum Saifuddin Ahmed, Marhum Jamiruddin Ahmed and Marhum Imran Shah, among others.