Anglo-Indians serious about stopping cemetery misuse

PATNA: Anglo-Indian youngsters are dead serious about reclaiming lost ground, if a recent attempt to clean and resurrect a two-century-old cemetery is anything to go by.
The Khagaul Cemetery, the final resting place of Anglo-Indians of several Church denominations, may well emerge as a rallying point for this tiny and beleaguered community.
Leeds and Michael Stark, Charles and Henry Paul, Winston Waleskie, Andrew Gomes, Mark Johnson and Desmond Hogmeyer can in no way be called leaders of the community, but their “Save our cemetery campaign� has begun to cause ripples both within the Anglo-Indian community in Patna and in larger civic circles.
“Khagaul, Danapur and Patna had several Anglo-Indians — some in the railways, others in armed forces, and still others in various occupations. This cemetery has been the final resting place for several Europeans and Anglo-Indians, but because many families emigrated in the ‘60s or moved away to other places to find employment, there was nobody to come here and burn candles at the graves. For us, it is a part of our cultural and religious beliefs that the burial ground is a consecrated ground. This ground is being used as a community latrine. We had to do something,� says Charles Paul from Danapur.
“Community resurgence� is at the core of this initiative, says Leeds. Youngsters, evidently more alive to social processes, are stung by the recent words of a Bihar politician that “there are no Anglo-Indians in Bihar�.
“Look at it this way,� says Michael, “for 40 years, there was an Anglo-Indian MLA. During these 40 years, this cemetery was neglected by the Church, the reason being lack of funds for maintenance.
Now, since it was where Anglo-Indians were buried, why didn’t the MLA use his funds for this public service instead of making roads here and there, which once again have potholes? A boundary wall around the cemetery would have cost less and been good service.�
While the project is largely welcomed by the Anglo-Indians, and supported in principle by two of the community’s leaders — former MLA Alfred De Rozario and sitting Jharkhand MLA Joseph Galstaun, a small section of the community is unwilling to donate towards the cause because they say, “none of our family is buried there�. This is shortsightedness, says Winston. The cemetery at Kurji is fast filling up, and it is a pity that the Khagaul Cemetery is neglected. If I die, I would like to be buried in Khagaul. It’s our land, no?,� he affirmed.
For all the enthusiasm, the team admits it has a long way to go. The dream project will need finance or assistance of about Rs 1 lakh. So far, the funds collected have been enough to clear away the overgrown grass and cut an access to the graves. A high wall is needed to dissuade the locals from using the ground as a latrine.
It is encouraging that several other citizens, who are not Anglo-Indians, have come forward to pledge token donations towards the project. The resurrection of the Khagaul Cemetery would also mean the restoration of something beautiful that once existed in Patna.