My vote is for NOTA if problem not resolved

Nampally: The residents of Amberpet, after years of struggle and making several rounds of the Wakf Board office in Haj House, have failed in their bid to realise the demand of graveyard. Following scores of representations to the Board and Ministers in-charge of Minorities Affairs in the united AP state and Telangana, the residents of Amberpet have decided not to vote for any of the political parties, but to go with 'NOTA' this time.

Speaking to The Hans India, Md Basheer, a resident of Amberpet whose team made umpteen number of visits to Haj House and other offices, said that they have been representing the issue for over 15 years to the successive governments. Even after formation of Telangana, they raised the issue with the Wakf Board officials and even the Mohammed Mahmood Ali, the former revenue minister and present home minister, but to no avail.

"No Space for burial. That is what some graveyards are telling families of those looking to bury their dead. Lack of burial ground is the main concern for residents of Amberpet. There is only one graveyard for Muslims and even that is now full. Residents have been constantly requesting the authorities to allot them a parcel of land to bury their dead. All political parties during the last 15 years failed to look into the matter. Hence we have decided to vote for NOTA this time to press our demands," he said.

The residents have given representations to the Wakf Board about a piece of land in Golnaka on Surveys No. 63 to 80. They rue there has been no response from the officials. The basic procedure for allotting a land for a graveyard is that the residents have to identify a land parcel and submit a proposal to the mandal revenue office, the collector's office and the Wakf Board. "We have followed the procedures, but till now nobody has acted on our proposal. There is only the Khadribagh graveyard for Muslims in Amberpet and it is full. It was allotted during the time of the Nizams," says Shaik Salauddin, a social activist and resident of Amberpet.

Though there is a custom among Muslims to re-use a grave after several decades, it is not practised commonly in India, as a memorial structure is made. "It's true that there is no more space left in the existing graveyard. We, the residents, say that there is a Wakf land which has been identified. But it is the responsibility of government which is at the helm. During the last 15 years none of the political parties in power looked into the matter. This time we have decided to cast our votes to NOTA, as one of the important problems we are facing has remained unresolved," Shaik Akhil, another resident, asserts.