By TCN Special Correspondent,
Lucknow: Finally the UP Shia Central Board of Waqfs in Lucknow has woken from slumber. Now the poor Shias in Lucknow can finally rest in peace. The board has issued strict directives restricting the Mutawallis from charging any payment from the kins of the deceased for burial of dead bodies in graveyards which are registered as Waqfs.
The order comes as a reprieve for the poor Shias in Lucknow who have to shell heavy amount as token to the Mutawallis for burial of the dead bodies in their family. At some graveyards, the amount charged was as high as Rs 60000. This resulted in many poor families facing hardships in burial of kins.
Imambara Ghufran Maab which is the most revered graveyard in Lucknow for Shias charged exorbitantly for burial of dead bodies. The Mutawalli of the graveyard is Imam-e-Juma Maulana Kalbe Jawwad. Since it has graves of many eminent figures of Shias including Hazrat Ghufran Maab, Maulana Kalbe Abid etc. it is revered as pious if Shias are buried in this graveyard. However it led to clamouring and the graveyard started charging Rs 50000-60000 per grave. Further there were reports where living persons got their space reserved for burial after death.
“We received several complaints from people about the high amount the graveyard is charging. It is registered as waqf with the board. We cannot allow commercialisation of the graveyard. It was too pinching for the poor people,” remarked Chairman, Shia Waqf Board, Syed Waseem Rizvi. He thereafter issued this order restraining the mutawallis from charging any amount for the graves. Not only this the amount charged during past one year has to be returned to the kins of the deceased. “Poor people are sufferer in this practice. It has to be stopped,” said Rizvi.
There have been complaints from organisations as Idara-e-Sakina and All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) against the practice. “We have raised the issue several times. There should be a probe in this regard and amount should be returned,” said spokesperson, AISPLB, Maulana Yasoob Abbas.
Shias also have several other graveyards where the rates are not too high and within limits as Malka Jahan Karbala, Abbas Bagh Ki Karbala etc. Chairman, Shia Waqf Board, Syed Waseem Rizvi stated that usually the amount is charged as Nazar-e-Maula by the mutawallis which is illegal. “One cannot force anyone for giving payment for burial of the dead,” he said. Rizvi also has plans to conduct an audit of the accounts of these graveyards. The details have been sought from the Mutawallis to present them before the board.
Lately, Maulana Kalbe Jawwad has met Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav after his party was voted to power. During the meeting Maulana Jawwad raised the issue of corruption in Shia Waqf Board and demanded that it should be dissolved. Chairman, Shia Waqf
Board Syed Waseem Rizvi issued these orders a day after the meeting.
Rizvi who was earlier with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) switched loyalties and had joined SP just before the elections. Prior to him Maulana Jawwad’s relative Kamaluddin Akbar was the chairman of the board who resigned.
General Shias are happy over the development as now they can bury their kins without paying hefty charges. However, due to constraint of space it can lead to problems in the graveyard.
TCN had raised the issue earlier also — If you are a poor Shia, pray you don’t die in Lucknow
http://twocircles.net/2010nov22/if_you_are_poor_shia_pray_you_don%E2%80%99t_die_lucknow.html.