Kabrastan crisis could snowball into political plank for 2027 polls

Margao: The prolonged failure to establish a kabrastan for South Goa’s Muslim community threatens to transform from an administrative hiccup into a potential electoral landmine that could reshape the 2027 assembly elections.

Community leader Abdul Matin Carol’s recent letter to the assembly speaker reflects mounting frustration over “decades of unfulfilled promises”. The strongly worded missive demands immediate action on the long-pending burial ground issue, seeking a review of ‘all pending assurances’ and urging authorities to expedite the establishment of burial facilities statewide.

The community recently launched a drive to secure proper burial grounds by directly appealing to village panchayats across the state. Community leaders cited constitutional obligations and govt directives that mandate panchayats to provide suitable burial grounds for all religious communities.

The crisis deepened after the high court’s Oct 2022 directive to develop the kabrastan at Sonsoddo “within six months” remained unimplemented. More than two years later, technical assessments revealed only 2,500 sqm of the originally acquired 30,000 sqm land are usable due to terrain limitations.

The community’s anger has found political expression. “In the last Lok Sabha elections, Muslim voters contributed to BJP losing the South Goa seat, sending a clear electoral message. Govt may ignore the demand at its own peril,” a political observer said. Community leaders have explicitly stated the kabrastan issue will be a “deciding factor” in the 2027 polls.

“This issue is of great public importance and deserves urgent attention in the interest of justice, equity, and good governance,” Carol said, adding that delays have caused “continued inconvenience and hardship” while raising concerns about the “efficacy of assurances made in the assembly”.

“With Goa’s wafer-thin margins that decide victories, consolidated opposition from any significant community can tip scales dramatically. Kabrastan is an emotive issue and it could override traditional voting patterns,” another political observer said. “Opposition parties are likely to make political capital of this administrative failure, painting it as govt’s insensitivity toward minorities.”

Carol’s request for a personal hearing by the speaker on the matter is seen by observers as the community’s final attempt at resolution through established channels.