By: Amjad Hussain
Srinagar: Evil practices like witchcraft, gambling and boozing are going on unabated at the prominent Muslim graveyard, Malkhah, located on the foothills of Koh-e-Maran at Rainawari area in Old City.
Malkhah, which houses burial places for thousands of people, has become a safe place for immoral activities like gambling and boozing while evil practices like ‘witchcraft’ are also performed to harm people.
Evil practices according to the locals living in the vicinity have been going on since decade’s altogether; however no efforts were made to contain such practices inside the graveyard.
They also alleged that desecration of graves is also being done for black-magic practice which in Islam is ‘forbidden’ as the practice is done to harm people under negative influence.
“I was shocked to see some old graves empty; I personally believe that these graves might be used for ‘witchcraft’ as black-magicians cannot perform black-magic in the open. I may be wrong but so far as the condition of graves is concerned, I am sure that graves are desecrated for evil practices,” Mohammad Altaf Qadri, a Makhdoom Sahab resident told ‘Precious Kashmir’.
Locals said Malkhah graveyard has also become a narcotic den where boozers without any fear of police use to drink alcohol while dope-heads smoke weed and consume drugs in broad daylight.
“We appeal to the authorities to immediately take note of the evil practices and deal strictly with those using the sacred land for immoral activities. This is a grave issue and we as a society also needs to rise and take notice of what is happening around,” Qadri added.
Fearing misuse of old graves for practices like witchcraft, he said the authorities must be cautious to prevent such un-Islamic activities inside the valley’s largest graveyard.
“Don’t know where our society is heading; people even do not spare graveyards to carry out immoral activities. Gamblers hide themselves in dense bushes so as not to be noticed by the passerby or people living around,” another local told ‘Precious Kashmir’.
Pertinent to mention that land for Malkhah graveyard also known as field of grave diggers was actually purchased and donated by known Muslim Sufi saint Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamadani (RA) for common cause.
