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Mumbai: Shocking images of vandalised burial niches at Juhu Koliwada cemetery, with human remains strewn on the ground, have distressed the local residents.
The niches, part of a columbarium, is attached to the Holy Cross Church in Juhu Koliwada. The cemetery land, however, is owned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Clara D’Souza, a resident of the area, said that her mother’s burial niche was among those vandalised. “This vandalism has been happening for some time. It happened again two days ago and a friend who had visited the cemetery told me about it,” said D’Souza.
Juhu's Senior police inspector said that they have not received any complaint but they will visit the cemetery to make an inquiry. However, residents said they have complained earlier about incidents of vandalism. “People have kept quiet about it as they feel there is no point in complaining,” added D’Souza.
The cemetery has no permanent graves, except for one, as there is no space for new burials. Buried remains are usually exhumed after a few years and transferred to a niche so that the ground can be reused. The cemetery does not have security though it has a caretaker. The church’s parish committee is expected to take up the issue at its next meeting in August.
Father Angelino Vaz, the parish priest of Holy Cross Church, said that the vandals enter the burial ground from the disused Hindu crematorium next door. "There are no lights and there have been robberies in the past," said Vaz who added that the church has decided to stop niche burials. "We cannot take care of the niches. We will have only ground burials from now."
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Meanwhile, community group Watchdog Foundation has written to the state administration and the police about indignity against the dead. “The area is frequented by many anti-social elements, particularly drug addicts. We demand immediate intervention of the police and arrest of culprits,” said Godfrey Pimenta of Watchdog Foundation.
