'We will parade Naga sadhus to get land back'

Goswami community will launch massive protest on the streets if their only cremation ground, which is at the risk of being usurped, is sold to builders

As a resort to save their only cremation ground in the city, the Goswami community threatens to parade Naga sadhus on the streets and launch a massive protest.
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The 4,646 sq yard-cemetery of the Goswami community (the Naga sadhus belong to the community) Santosh Giri Dashnami Akhada at Banganga on Malabar Hill is at the risk of being usurped by community members and builders.
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The cremation ground is approximately 800 years old and has the mausoleum of the Shankaracharya.

Some trustees of the Shree Dashnami Goswami (Gosai) Community Trust, a public charitable trust, tried to sell the property and even took a token amount from some builders.



Letter to CM

A new trust named Akhand Dashnami Yuva Sangh was formed last October to save the piece of land.

They have written a letter (a copy of which is with MiD DAY) to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Revenue Minister Patangrao Kadam and the collector and ward officer of Malabar Hill to come to their rescue.
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Mohan Puri, a trustee of the Akhand Dashnami Yuva Sangh, said, "More then 5,000 families of the Goswami community live in Mumbai.
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Where we will cremate them if the land is sold? If that happens, Naga sadhus from everywhere have decided to come here and protest."
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Can't be sold

Jagdish Giri, another trustee, said, "The earlier trustees tried to sell the land by accepting Rs 50 lakh as token amount. They took the same amount from another builder last year.
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We are willing to return the money, but the builders should forget about buying this land."

Advocate Joboy Thadicaren of the High Court said, "Trust property cannot be sold without the permission of the charity commissioner."

Nayanth Nanakgiri, a Naga sanyasi, who lives on the plot, said, "I have been living here since 1993 and cannot think of life without this place. There are about 700 ashrams of Naga sadhus here and 400 Naga sanyasis who will protest on the streets."
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Despite repeated attempts, trustees of the Shree Dashnami Goswami (Gosai) Community Trust and the builders were not available for comment.