Comba in Margao Goa is a know bastion of Hindu Brahmins Catholics and other non Brahmin Hindus -- mainly tenants. Most of the traders of yesteryears and who have their trading outlets in the New Market area hail from Comba. Many of them have however shifted to far off Vidyanagar or Aquem and now settled in Apartments or sleek bungalows.
The over three hundred year old cross that was damaged lies in on the West end of the Rua Abbe de Faria first bylane as one comes from the Margao Old Bus Stand (Gomant Vidya Niketan) or from the interior road vie Behind Popular High School the lane proceeding North bang opposite Mahila Nutan Vidyalaya. According to a resident residing behind the damaged cross it is learnt that a passer by noticed the damage to the cross and some brick facade. With the initial round of curious onlookers there were rumours agog, that it was the work of right wing fundamentalists, some had apprehensions that it was a quid pro qua of the March 3rd riots where the Moslem community was the target. However it must be said to the credit of the residents of Comba that they did play down the issue and restored the same by mid afternoon. Politicians have reason to fish in troubled waters and this ocassion proved suitable for them. On the one hand the secular parties castigated the right wing fundamentalist party as being responsible for the attack on minorites while the right wing fundamentalists alleged that the secularists were fomenting trouble to consolidate their vote bank. Incidentally two youthful politicos hold stakes in these constituencies Ward 11 and 10 of Margao Municipal Council and hence the issue was blown out of proportion. According to a source in the police department generally such acts of vandalisation carried out are mainly by persons of an unsound mind an alcoholic. But what needs to be investigated is who caused the provocation which is vital but is often ignored in the investigations. Of the past three similar incidents at Ponda Aldona and at Navelim it was proved that persons of unsound mind had infact carried out the vandalisation but the police did not proceed beyond to nail the culprit. Another interesting thing relating to the event at Comba is that it happened on a FULL MOON night. The police dogs that sniffed the path of the culprit followed the route accross the railway lines at Pedda via the ICCI Bank Opp Benlix Bldg and towards Khareaband. Though many of the nearby residents are tightlipped on the person/s who were involved; it is clear that some known persons have committed the act individually or in concert. Residents of all communities have reason to fear that the above incident may provide the breeding ground for future communal riots, and for valid reasons. On 20th December 1986 at the height of the language agitation when young late Floriano Vaz was murdered a prominent elite businessman now deceased was being targetted by the furious mob as it was then alleged that the son of the businessmen had indeed provoked the firing by a police personnel on bandobust on young Vaz after the arson committed on a fishnet factory at Gogol. It was this that made all communities get together and restore the cross. Meanwhile the police should pursue the issue to its logical conclusion and trace the culprits. One of the reasons for the spate of such instances of attacks on minority institutions and persons of minority community is obvious. It is perhaps for the first time in post Independence History of India that the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance all belong to the minority communities and hence the discomfort among those who believe in right wing fundamentalist policies. In any case there need not be panic or a paranoi as many politicians and audio visual and news media would like to blow such incidents out of proportion. Suffice it if the fabric of religious tolerance is not lost just because of stray and provocative instances as these. In the opinion of several well meaning persons on the occurence of such acts of vandalism, it is incumbent upon the residents within the area to resolve the issue by restoring the damaged works and keep at bay the politicians and outsiders in their own interests. The acts of the residents of Comba in restoring the cross without much fanfare and without the assistance of others is commendable and needs to be replicated in such situations around the state when they arise. Police should however do their best to trace the culprits and not declare the case as "A final" meaning incident proved to have happened but since culprits untraceble closed. One school of thought is that a devoutee may have in frustration vandalised the cross for "prayers unanswered" or "favours not granted" . Many a times it is seen that persons in dire straits rush to seek divine assistance to redeem them of their earthly misfortunes and this one could be a case where redemption was not forthcoming. GODFREY J I GONSALVES BORDA MARGAO GOA [EMAIL PROTECTED] 9822158584 __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner now. Go to http://yahoo.shaadi.com