Sri Vijaya Puram, Jan 27: Hindu Rashtra Shakti has expressed grave concern and strong objection to the reported proposal of the Municipal authorities to lease out land known to be used as a Hindu cremation/graveyard near Foreshore Road (Megapode Junction area), Port Blair, for the purpose of running a restaurant-cum-bar.
The organisation stated that the issue is not a routine administrative matter, as land used for cremation or burial enjoys a special, protected and sacrosanct status under law, custom and constitutional morality. Even if such land vests with a Municipality, it cannot be diverted for commercial use, particularly for liquor-related activity, without strict compliance with law, lawful de-notification, approval of the competent authority, and due regard to religious sentiments, public order and the dignity of the deceased.
It was further stated that cremation and burial grounds are not ordinary municipal assets but sacred public spaces intrinsically connected with last rites and religious faith. Their commercial exploitation amounts to a serious violation of law, propriety and public trust. The organisation also pointed out that a Municipality has no jurisdiction to pre-decide or authorise bar or liquor-related activity, as excise and liquor licensing fall under a separate statutory framework. Any municipal tender or proposal that advertises or presumes “bar” usage reflects administrative overreach and a colourable exercise of power.
According to information available in the public domain, no valid resolution of the Municipal Council authorising the diversion of this land or its leasing for restaurant-cum-bar purposes appears to have been passed in accordance with law. Despite this, public funds seem to have been spent on planning, tendering and related processes without following the procedure prescribed under the law.
The organisation stated that such actions, if established, raise serious concerns regarding financial impropriety, abuse of authority and lack of accountability. It emphasised that public money cannot be expended, nor public land dealt with, in the absence of lawful sanction by the competent municipal body. If the land continues to be recorded, recognised or historically used as a Hindu cremation/graveyard, any form of commercial leasing—more so for a bar—is wholly impermissible, irrespective of how it is described administratively.
Clarifying its stand, Hindu Rashtra Shakti stated that it is not opposed to development, tourism or economic activity, but opposed to development carried out in violation of law, religious dignity and basic civic decency. It asserted that no form of revenue generation can justify encroachment upon or dilution of spaces meant for antim sanskaar.
In view of the matter, the organisation has sought immediate intervention to keep the impugned tender and all related actions in abeyance, to direct disclosure of all relevant records including land status, usage history, municipal resolutions, approvals and expenditure incurred, and to fix responsibility on officers or authorities found to have acted without jurisdiction or lawful approval. It has further requested clear directions that land used for cremation or burial shall not be diverted for commercial or liquor-related purposes.
The organisation also sought the attention of the union home minister, stating that the matter concerns governance standards, protection of religious dignity, financial propriety and constitutional responsibility in a Union Territory administered under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It expressed hope that timely intervention will prevent avoidable social unrest and reaffirm the Administration’s commitment to the rule of law, accountability and respect for faith.
