KAPADWANJ (Kheda), July 26: Samuel Christian, a Methodist who died of old age, could not rest in peace even after death. His coffin was dug out and taken from place to place for three days before it was finally laid to rest in a burial ground owned by the Vankars, a Hindu community, albeit without a cross or headstone to mark the grave.Samuel died on July 7 and was buried by his family in a disputed burial ground in Gopalpura on July 8. The same day, men of the BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad dug out the coffin and placed it in front of the Methodist Church near Harikunj Society, creating panic among the small Christian community.Rashmikant David, a nephew of Samuel, says they approached the police and civil authorities after the coffin was removed but received no help. The family then decided to bury Samuel in the Hindu burial ground, as the Vankars agreed to allow the burial.Kheda district Collector Bhagyesh Jha said he had received a complaint, and would soon order an inquiry.A police complaint lodged by Dayabhai Parmar, manager of the Christian Burial Committee, names local corporator Ghyanshyam Patel, Kapadwanj VHP president Arun Suthar, and Hasmukh Patel, chairman of a local co-operative bank, as a culprits. Interestingly, however, the police case makes no mention of the digging up of a coffin; it only says that Parmar's bag and purse were snatched.While Hasmukh Patel denied his involvement, Suthar admitted that he dug out the body with the help of BJP corporators and the residents of the area because ``no one can bury a body in an area where people have been living for over four decades''. The area is occupied by huts, mud houses and a small temple. Dayabhai, however, claimed it was a Christian burial ground since 1951 and many bodies had been buried. Local Mamlatdar V R Pandya said the land was earmarked to be used as a burial ground, but the Christians had yet to prove their claim.Over the years, the Lashiniya Vaghris, a sub-caste of Vaghris, have encroached on the land and built their huts. The police also say that the Vaghris had been living at the disputed site for over five decades. Raju Vaghri, one of the residents, said that this was the first time a body had been brought there for burial.Last year, the Christians had buried a coffin to stake their claim, Raju alleged. The Vaghris dug it out and found it contained stones. This time, the coffin contained a body and the Vaghris knew it, but ``we removed it with the help of local BJP leaders'', Raju admitted, and complained, ``They want to make us homeless.''The Vaghris allege that the land where the church stood was originally the Christian graveyard. But it had been converted into a residential area to raise funds for construction of the church. However, Parmar claims this was done after completing all formalities. He also questioned the Vaghris' claim that they had been living there for 50 years, saying they moved in only in 1994.According to Parmar, since the area had a small Christian community, burials were not frequent; the last burial was in 1996. It was held ``under tight security'' because there was protests, but no one removed the body. This time, BJP-HVP men dug out Samuel's coffin, he said, and alleged that the police turned a blind eye.However, Suthar claimed that the body was dug out with the consent of Samuel's family. ``Even the police was present,'' he said. Suthar also claimed that Samuel's widow went out to bring a lorry for transferring the body to another place for burial, but ``the other group'' did not allow her. Therefore, BJP-VHP placed the body near the church.Suthar said Christians living in nearby areas refused to allow burials in their area. He also said that last year, one Christian woman was taken to Nadiad for burial because the Christian burial ground was ``illegally occupied by Parmar and his group''. Interestingly, amidst the war of claims and counter-claims, Samuel's family is keeping silent.
