Ponnam Assures Christians Demand For Burial Grounds Will Be Considered
All Souls’ Day is observed to remember and pray for the deceased, with families recalling their memories and sharing stories about them with younger generations: Reports
HYDERABAD: Christians are eagerly waiting for the government to allot the long-promised burial land as the community prepares to observe All Souls’ Day on Sunday. Cemeteries across the city have run out of room for the departed, forcing families to reuse existing graves for new burials.
The situation is especially difficult for those who migrated to the city in large numbers during the last few decades, particularly from neighbouring states. Many of these long-settled families now face severe challenges in finding burial space.
All Souls’ Day is observed to remember and pray for the deceased, with families recalling their memories and sharing stories about them with younger generations.
A Christian delegation has sought an appointment with Hyderabad incharge minister Ponnam Prabhakar to raise the issue. “They have sought an appointment to meet me, and this government will surely extend all its support,” the minister said.
B. Susheel Kumar, a member of a Kannada-language church, said, “There is no space left, especially for families who migrated here years ago. Recently, one of our members passed away, and the family had to go through an extremely difficult time arranging the burial.”
Harsh Kumar Titus, a resident of Beerumguda, shared, “Last December, my sister passed away, and we had to keep her body in the mortuary for four days before finding a burial spot. My pastor and I went from place to place and finally got space at Keesara.”
Most existing cemeteries in the city date back to the British and Nizam eras. According to Rev. G.D. Anil Kumar, district superintendent of the Hyderabad Regional Conference (HRC), who is leading the delegation to the ministry, “Whenever a death occurs, the family approaches the clergy first. Finding a burial space has become a major challenge. We hope this government will finally allocate land for new cemeteries.”
Christian leaders say the community has been requesting burial land since the formation of Telangana, but successive governments have only made promises on paper.
However, Deepak John, chairman of the State Christian Finance Corporation, said, “There are 42 acres of land identified in eight parcels across the state, and the government is extending full support to develop these burial grounds.”
Meanwhile, in preparation for All Souls’ Day, cemeteries across the twin cities are being cleaned, and graves are being decorated by families to honour their loved ones.