Recover cremation grounds from land grabbers

Hindus in C'nawabganj submit memo to PM

2 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Our Correspondent, C'nawabganj

People of the Hindu community form a human chain in front of Chapainawabganj Collectorate Building yesterday demanding steps to protect Tartipur Mahashoshan (cremation ground) in Shibganj upazila of the district.Photo: STAR

Hundreds of Hindus yesterday staged demonstration in Chapainawabganj town and submitted a memorandum to the prime minister through the deputy commissioner (DC) demanding arrest of those who allegedly grabbed 200- year-old Tartipur Moha Shoshan in Shibganj and other cremation grounds in the district. They also demanded that the government take immediate steps to recover the cremation grounds from the grip of land grabbers. At least 5,000 people from five upazilas of the district came to the town in the morning, took out a procession and formed a human chain in front of the deputy commissioner's office. They later handed over the memorandum to the deputy commissioner. Addressing a rally in front of the DC's office, Hindu community leaders alleged that land grabbers and their accomplices attacked some Hindus of Laxmipur village under Sadar upazila when they took the body of Mongol Karmakar of the village to Tartipur Moha Shashan for cremation on November 17 this year. Later, the relatives of Mongol Karmakar cremated his body at Tartipur Shashan with the help of the law enforcers, the speakers said. Sukumar Karmakar, one of the relatives of Mongol Karmakar, filed a case against six land grabbers--Mohammad Altu, Monirul Islam, Mohammad Rezabul, Nazmul, Selim and Mahtab Ali-- of Alidanga area of Shibganj Municipality with Shibganj Police Station on November 22, but none of them is yet to be arrested, they alleged. They urged the government to recover Tartipur cremation ground, indigenous people's cremation ground in Nachole and land of Kansat Gangashram and Rohonpur Mahanto estate in Gomostapur upazila from the grip of land grabbers. The demonstrators urged the government to recover the grabbed cremation grounds and bring the grabbers to book. Hindu community leaders Kanok Ranjan, Sadhan Kumar Monigram, Mohit Kumar, Kamol Kumar Tribedi, Proshanta Saha, Monoranjan, Babul Kumar Ghosh ,Topoti Pandey addressed the rally. Indigenous people of the district also took part in the programmes.