Graveyards no longer a haunted place

Belagavi: The living will soon occupy graveyards with more regularity in and around Belagavi, if a Minister has his way!

 

Small Scale Industries Minister Satish Jarkiholi has vowed to transform graveyards and crematoriums into friendly places and wants people to enter them fearlessly. 

 

To allay fears of people, the minister has been staying in graveyards at regular intervals holding seminars and social activities.

 

During his recent stay at Sadashiv Nagar graveyard in Belagavi, the minister said, he would transform graveyards in the city into beautiful gardens and places of study. 

 

“A healthy and fearless atmosphere will be created in all graveyards to help people enter these hitherto neglected places fearlessly. The basic idea of holding programmes in graveyards is to fight against superstition. Due to decades-old blind practices, people are reluctant to enter graveyards,” he said.

 

With the help of people, the minister launched cleanliness programmes in six graveyards in the city including those located at Chidambar Nagar, Hanuman Nagar and Sadashiv Nagar. Programmes were held and snacks and tea were served to people inside the graveyards.

 

The minister is keen to convert graveyards into a garden so that people stayed inside throughout the day. In many graveyards, the minister not only held programmes day-long but also slept at night.

 

Speaking at a programme at Maratha community graveyard near old Puna-Bangalore road in the city, Mr Jarkiholi said another 20 graveyards will wear a new look in Belagavi by November 15. Continued efforts are on to transform every graveyard into decent places by making necessary facilities available, he said.

 

He urged people to involve in all cleanliness programmes being organised by Belagavi City Corporation in graveyards without waiting for leaders and organisations to take the initiative. The graveyards of Chavat Galli and Kama Galli will get a high-tech touch soon. “Besides development of two gardens, benches and roads in and around the two graveyards, all facilities to make these places decent will be taken up,” he said.

 

The minister invited artistes and personalities to his graveyard programmes.