Coffin Conversations - by dementia

They call it their Khamosh Colony. They say it is more peaceful to study here than in any other part of the city. And they may not be wrong. The Taj Goth Free Education Home is situated inside the premises of the Mewa Shah Graveyard and strangely enough students here feel their school is safer due to its peculiar location. “Unlike other schools in the city, our school is never closed during any riot or strike in the city,” a young student proudly proclaims. This is no idle claim in a city where school shut often due to one reason or another.


One might expect the children to be rather apprehensive as they have to cross hundreds of graves everyday to reach their school located at one end of the graveyard. But the smile on their faces proves you wrong. Even the little four year olds, the kindergarten students, know they have to walk on the pathway carefully chalked between the gray and white gravestones.

“We have taught them it is wrong to disturb the people sleeping in their graves hence the children also make it a point to remain silent as they walk past the graves in queues,” explains Soniya Williams, a teacher of class-II. The idea of teaching in a graveyard also appeared strange to Williams when she was offered the job, but when she saw the confident looks on the children’s faces, it took her no time to accept the job.