Israeli-Indian Jewish Community Demands Action Over Land Dispute at Historic Jabalpur Cemetery

A dispute has erupted over the century-old Jewish cemetery in Jabalpur, India, amid reports of damage and attempts to seize the land by what local media describe as a "land mafia." The cemetery, the only Jewish burial site in the region, has reportedly suffered vandalism including destroyed tombstones, breached fences, and theft of the entrance gate. Leaders of the Indian Jewish community in Israel have appealed urgently to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, the Chief Rabbinate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Israeli and Indian diplomatic missions to intervene politically and legally.

Representatives of the Diwakar and Kahimkar families, along with community heads, sent a letter titled "Desecration and Looting of Jewish War Graves in India and a Serious Cover-up Attempt Through False Displays." They condemned the acts as a grave and deliberate violation of Jewish law and international norms, emphasizing that the cemetery holds graves of Jews who served in the British Indian Army. The letter criticized a concurrent initiative to bring statues to Israel, suggesting it might be a cynical attempt to distract from the cemetery's desecration.

The community leaders called on the Israeli government to initiate a joint investigation with Indian authorities, identify those behind the statue project and its funding, consider repatriating the remains of the late Segi Diwakar to Israel, prevent or remove the statues if already brought, and keep the Israeli public informed. They warned that failure to act within seven days would escalate public, legal, and media campaigns globally to hold those responsible accountable and protect the historic Jewish cemetery in Jabalpur.

This case is framed as a critical moral and national test, with the community stressing that neglect or passive cooperation with cover-up attempts would irreparably harm the memory and honor of Jewish deceased buried there.