: High drama was witnessed on Wednesday at Kalvari Church CNI here after a Christian family accused the church authorities of refusing to provide burial space at its graveyard to a 56-year-old man without any valid reason.
Ashraf Masih, who was ailing, passed away on Wednesday morning. He retired as a security officer from CMC hospital.
Dr. Usha Singh, principal of the college of nursing, CMC Hospital said, “Ashraf was my brother and we are members of Kalvari Church for more than 30 years. I informed the church at around 9:30 am about Ashraf’s death but they didn’t allow us to dig his grave.”
“They didn’t even allow us to perform the last prayers of Ashraf at the church. They are not allowing us to enter the church premises without any valid reason,” said Singh.
However, Ramesh Raman, Secretary of the Church, dismissed the accusations, saying “Ashraf’s membership with the church was suspended in 2018 by then secretary Amron Gill after he acquired the church land in front of his house in Issa Nagar.”
“According to the church law, if anyone acquires church’s land his/her membership with the church is suspended. The church committee had also written to bishop in the past to de-bar the membership of Ashraf after his misconduct in prayer service,” said Ramesh Raman.
{{/usCountry}}“According to the church law, if anyone acquires church’s land his/her membership with the church is suspended. The church committee had also written to bishop in the past to de-bar the membership of Ashraf after his misconduct in prayer service,” said Ramesh Raman.
{{/usCountry}}Raman accused the family of Ashraf of misbehaving with the incharge pastor of the church Vikrant William, alleging that he was also manhandled by the family when he went to defend the pastor.
“Despite the disrespectful attitude of the deceased’s family towards the pastor and the church committee, we allotted space for Ashraf’s burial. An emergency meeting was called by the church committee, and the decision was taken to provide the space,” he said.
Reverend Denzel Peoples, bishop of Chandigarh diocese of the Church of North India (CNI), said that he spoke with the deceased’s family and addressed their concerns.
“Later I was informed by the church committee that the family had behaved disrespectfully towards the pastor while on church grounds. While we granted a space for the burial, the family’s misconduct is not tolerable,” he said.