Catholics in Goa expressed shock and dismay at reports appearing today in some
of the local dailies, that the Archbishop of Goa & Daman immediately upon his
return from Jamshedpur in the North Indian state of Jarkhand had in a written
letter "on behalf of the Church in Goa " to the PI Mr Sudesh Naik of Panaji
Police Station, which was the centre of the 19th February, 2007 mob frenzy
involving the Taleigao MLA Mr Atanasio (Babush) Monserate his spouse Ms
Jennifer Monseratte Zilla Parishad Member their teenaged son Amit and the Mayor
of Corporation of City of Panjim had conveyed sorrow over the incident.
To quote the letter it reads thus ... " On my arrival yesterday from our
Bishops Conference in Jamshedpur I have come to know about the unpleasant
incidents that took place a few days ago as a result of which some police
personnel suffered injuries. This letter comes to convey to you my deep
solidarity and the assurance of prayers for the recovery of those concerned"
Many who spoke to this writer after today's Sunday Church services in Margao,
a) objected to the letter in the first place to only the police ignoring the
savage brutality to the Mayor and the innocent son of the Monserate,
b) in the past to the best of their knowledge even at the height of the Meta
Copper and Alloy (Meta strips ) or the Nylon 6'6 or Konkan Railway agitation
the Archbishop or his predecessor had never issued such letters either to the
police victims or to those who became victims of police atrocities,
c) even otherwise the Head of the Diocese in keeping with the order of
precedence ought to have addressed the letter either to the Governor, Chief
Minister, Home Minister and not to a low ranking Police Inspector.
d) since the matter is subjudiced it was inappropriate for the Archbishop to
take sides only with the Police moreso when he was not witness to the the
events of the incident as he was out of station;
d) many felt that the Church delving too deeply in day to day politics would
isolate the Catholic community and subject them to a backlash from
fundamentalist forces in the event thr right wing Hindu fundamentalist party
takes office;
e) others also expressed resentment that while the Archbishop in the past has
had to face an embarrasing situation when his comments to applaud the role of
the Goa Government on the education front was used as a "good conduct"
certificate by the now defeated MLA of Navelim Mr Luisinho Faleiro;
f) some also did not approve of the Archbishop issuing Dipawali, Id
greetings, when niether the Imams nor the Swamis reciprocate suggest gestures
of brotherhood during Christmas;
g) the Church should come out of its pre Liberation status in the political
affairs of the State felt others.
Faced with this diatribe this writer contacted the office of the Archdiocese
but was informed by a female employee that Fr Loyola Pereira was on his way to
Assam.
It was only upon contacting a popular priest (who did not want his name
divulged as he was already being branded as a fundamentalist for his vitriolic
comments on the Church vis a vis other religions ) who is a close confidant of
the Archbishop, that he divulged that he himself had to face the brunt of his
parishioners over the reported news item.
He however clarified that the Archbishop had indeed written separate personal
letters to both the Monserattes, the Mayor of CCP and the PI but it appears
that the PI had mischievously released the same to the Press thereby creating
the ruckus.
He also informed this writer that an emergency meet was held after Church
services today at the Paco Patriacal Altinho over this unsavoury development
and that a clarfication is being issued by Fr Maverick Fernandes on behalf of
the Archbishop to set at rest the controversy.
When this writer contacted some eminent Medical Practitioners, Advocates and
teachers they too seemed nonplussed over the Archbishops letter and wondered
whether there was some sinister design to relagate the Catholics to second
class citizens by bringing the community a bad name by their whisper campaign.
They expected that the Church should excercise restraint in a surcharged
atmosphere where fundamentalists forces within the Catholic Moslems and Hindu
community are rearing their ugly heads to polarise the society and humankind.
Meanwhile while the Panaji and Taleigao areas saw mounds of bio and non
biodegradable waste being strewn around the bins owing to the protest strike by
the CCP work force over the inhuman treatment and assault meted out to the
Mayor who is still in the Vintage Hospital at Campal recuperating from severe
head injuries, there are reports that the CCP may be dissolved months before
its term end. The Government is bound to take this decision to avert the
demand by the Monserrates and the CCP to suspend the PI SDPO and the SP for
dereliction of duties and failure to maintain law and order to avert the 19th
February, 2008.
There is another political angle that has emerged following Tuesday's incident
and the distancing of the CM Mr Digamber Kamat from the incidents. Many
believe that the PI Panaji Police Station was acting on the dictates of
political higher ups. It may be recalled that the PI while in his earlier
posting at Margao was transferred in April 2007 by the Election Commission to
ensure smooth and fair elections in Margao Constituency. The idea to humiliate
and cut to size the clout of the Monserrates ( branded by some of the
Saraswats notably Mr Arvind Bhatikar IAS retd ex Chairman of MPT as the
"Taliban of Taleigao" ) was a long drawn conspiracy which commenced apparently
after the backlash at the IT Habitat in Dona Paula in December, 2007 followed
by the protest by INC youth Congress members on 18th December, 2007 which
resulted in police inaction and the Government and the INC Party playing down
the protest, assaults on son of Mr Ramakant Khalap Adv ex
MLA Mandrem and others at the Monserate mansion. No doubt the PI Mr Serafino
Dias had to bid good bye as a fallout, the Panaji Police Station were filled
with favourites of the CM and Home Minister loyalists Mr Mohan Naik the SDPO
and Police Inspector Mr Sudesh Naik.
The incidents which resulted in the near fatal attack on Mr Babani Sheikh an ex
Protectors group member, now owing loyalties to Mr Somnath Zuarkar after the
June 2002 elections after Mr Monserate first tasted the electoral waters and
won was the beginning of the intercine wars between the Zuarkar "loyalists" and
the Monseratte "loyalist". The prelude to 19th February, 2008 incident appears
to have been discreetly and cunningly exploited by Mr Monserattes detractors
within the INC and some of his friends turned foes in the BJP -- a la RSS style
-- pitting the minorities viz Catholic Moslems and the Bahujan Samaj (non Hindu
Brahmins to achieve their own agenda of humiliating the Monserattes and cutting
him to size).
It is still rumoured that when Babush sneezes the High command takes note and
no Chief Minister in Goa much less a Saraswat would take to kindly to power
centre being outside his fiefdom. Hence many believe that notwithstanding the
nuances and history of Antanasio (Babush) Monseratte, the threatening telephone
call to the husband of the Public prosecutor Ms Sardinha who was responsible
for the detention in police / judicial custody of the Monserrates when produced
to the Court made from telephone No:2725371 from a public booth at Comba in
Margao the Chief Ministers constituency needs to be thoroughly investigated.
According to some investigations the Archbishops letter which appeared in the
Press was intended to be faxed to the INC High Command and the Union Home
Ministry to convince them that the Congress vote bank which has the blessings
of a large following of the Catholic community therby the Archbishop of Goa and
Daman has not taken too kindly on the acts of the Monserrate. This will now
apparently back fire with the clarification being issued by the Archbishops
office tommorrow as was confirmed later to this writer by Fr Victor from the
Paco Patriacal, Altinho Panaji.
from the Taleigao Constitutency end
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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