Kalyan woman buried after 10-hour standoff, KDMC gives written assurance on cemetery

A standoff over the lack of a burial place in Kalyan ended after about ten hours of wrangling. Wasimunnisa Kazi was buried at the Tekdi cemetery in Kalyan West. The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) gave a written assurance that it would take the necessary steps to resolve the cemetery problem, after which the family withdrew its agitation.

Kazi had been in a coma for some time and died on Tuesday morning. The family began preparing for the burial and first went to a cemetery in Ulhasnagar. Its management refused permission, saying the woman did not live within its jurisdiction. The refusal was a heavy blow to a family already in grief.

The family then went to the Tekdi cemetery in Kalyan West, where burial was again refused on grounds of jurisdiction. After running from one cemetery to another without an arrangement, the family was angered. People voiced resentment that jurisdiction rules were being applied even to last rites.

A cemetery in Titwala had been designated for residents of the Mohone area. People allege that land mafias have taken over this cemetery. For this reason, Mohone residents are facing great difficulty in finding burial space, and the issue has come up once again.

The angry family decided to take Kazi's body directly to the municipal commissioner's bungalow. Police stopped them in the Prem Auto area, and tension built up at the spot.

Talks lasted about three hours between the family, police, workers of various political parties and municipal officials. During this, a demand was made to resolve the cemetery problem of Mohone residents.

Finally, the municipal administration gave a written assurance that the KDMC commissioner would soon hold a meeting on the subject and complete the necessary administrative process on the cemetery question. Tension then eased and the burial was completed at the Tekdi cemetery.

Congress leader Kanchan Kulkarni, Congress district president Naveen Singh, Rupesh Bhoir of the Thackeray faction, municipal and police officials and other workers were present.

The episode has brought the Mohone cemetery problem back into discussion. Questions are being raised on whether action will be taken against the cemetery management that refused the burial, when the alleged encroachment on the Titwala cemetery will be removed, and when Mohone residents will get a permanent cemetery.