The image of a grave locked with an iron grill recently sparked controversy on social media. Amid rumours, some alleged that parents of late young daughters resorted to locking the graves of their loved ones with iron grills. This, apparently was done after grave keepers and others in Pakistan engaged in necrophilia.
The viral grave has finally been located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, and not in Pakistan’s Hyderabad. As for the story, simply put, it’s fake news.
The grave was constructed in a cemetery next to a mosque called Masjid E Salar Mulk in the Darab Jung Colony neighbourhood of Madannapet in Hyderabad, Telangana’s Old City.
“The grave was originally built almost 2 years back without getting permission from the committee concerned. The grave belongs to a septuagenarian woman who last her breath. It was constructed in front of the entrance of the graveyard and also on the pathway to the graveyard. Her son constructed the grill on the grave. The grill on the grave was fixed to avoid passerby from walking on the grave. It also prevents others from burying bodies on the old graves,” Muqtar Sahab, the Muazzin of the mosque said.
He refuted the claim of Harris Sultan, author of the book ‘The Curse of God – Why I Left Islam’, who shared the image on Twitter and commented that “Pakistan has created such a horny, sexually frustrated society that people are now putting padlocks on the graves of their daughters to prevent them from getting raped. When you link the burqa with rape, it follows you to the grave.”
The Muazzin also rejected the claim made by Robert Spencer, Director of Jihad Watch, who also shared the image on Twitter with a caption that read: “Pakistan: Parents padlock graves of deceased daughters to prevent necrophilia.”
“I visited the graveyard few years ago and found the grave the rarest one which locked with a iron grill. So I took a picture of it and posted it on my social media platforms which went viral now. But the image is of purely of a grave in Hyderabad in Telangana of India. It is not belonged to a grave in Pakistan,(sic)” Twitter user Ashish said.
Although the image that went viral on social media did not originate from Hyderabad, Pakistan, it brought back the Muslim community’s constant worry about finding a grave space for a respectable burial for their loved ones.
They have been growing more concerned as a result of encroachments. The cemetery has become so crowded that finding the burial pit requires extensive searching. Kothi, Barkas, Nampally, Saidabad, Phisalbanda, Talab Katta, Moghalpura, Misri Gunj, Alaibad, Hussainialam, Yakutpura, Golconda, and Madannapet are a few areas where finding burial space has become a task.
The officials from Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) estimated few years ago that there was a requirement of as many as 1,000 graveyards (for all religions) in the surrounding areas of the city after taking consideration of present and future population growth. According to the officials concerned, there are 291 graveyards in the adjoining areas of the city.
Official sources said there were 699 graveyards, 90% below five acres, in the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad area and 291 in the surrounding municipal circles. Of them, 387 belong to private persons (private land) and were being managed by local committees.
The Ranga Reddy district administration has identified about 28 places in Kapra, Ahmedguda, Nadargul, Chowdariguda, Nuthankal Kokapet, Hydershahkote, Gundla Pochampally, Dundigal, Gopanpally, Malkaram, Keesara, Bachupally and Kongarakalan, few years ago. Some identified places have been given to the GHMC, while some were handed over to gram panchayats of respective areas for maintenance.
On record, 230 graveyards are under GHMC as many of them were on government land which had not been transferred to the corporation, while some were caught in legal issues.
According to the sources, many graveyards do not have bare minimum facilities such as bathrooms, bore wells, or even street lighting. Due to this, people are forced to visit Bansilalpet, Amberpet, and Punjagutta for cremations, which are equipped with the above-said facilities.
The GHMC called for expression of interest from voluntary organizations, non-governmental organizations, individuals and philanthropists to provide basic facilities at the graveyards under Fund Your City programme, few years ago.
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