The situation at the Church of Our Lady of the Poor, Tilamol was generally calm
and peaceful, when this writer visited the Parish priest Fr Lucio Dias this
evening. There was the Goa Armed Police Constabulary posted at the site of the
ransacking and burning of the shop amd motorcycle ust a couple of metres before
the church and ironically near the Civil & Criminal Court Quepem. There were
some Police officials too parked in a van in front of the Church.
The evening Mass was yet to get underway. Fr Dias who appeared unfazed by
yesterdays assault was nursing a bandaged right hand. Upon enquiries he
revealed to this writer that a premise of the Church Shopping complex was
leased to one Ms Angelica Cardozo of Zambaulim the mother of Fr Peter Cardoz
of the Choral Group of Pilar some eight to ten years ago, but the same was
sublet to the present occupants one of the assailants, Joazito D Costa hailing
from Quepem. The Parish priest had requested the lessee to enter into an
agreement with the Church Fabrica but they dilly dallied on the issue.
Fr Dias then put up a notice on the shop and sealed the premises with a lock.
At around 0940 hrs Fr Dias went to the shop and questioned the occupants as to
how the shop was opened when the notice clearly implied that something was
amiss. At this juncture the occupant of the shop rushed to the priest and
slapped him. Later another jumped accross the counter pulled the priest inside
and pulled down the shutter. Fr Dias apprehended some further physical assault
and rushed to lift the shutter and in the melee he sufferred severe injuries to
his right hand.
In the meanwhile the parishioners got wind of the assault and what followed was
a demand to arrest the culprits viz the two brothers Joasito and Evangelist D
Costa. The Police did not act promptly which resulted in a rasta roko and
traffic came to a halt. It was only upon an assurance that the culprits would
be arrested by four noon the rasta roko was lifted and also to avoid hardships
to the students. Later in the afternoon since the arrests were not effected the
crowd again went berserk ransacked the shop and burnt whatever was at hand. A
foreign exchange counter operatimg therein the computer shop STD et al and the
motorcycle. In the meanwhile sensing further unrest the police had the two
arrested and booked for attempted murder according to Fr Dias. The people then
demanded the duo both residents of Quepem near the police Station to be
produced before the Parish priest so as to tender an apology.
The police however rightly did not concede to the mob demand for fear that the
duo would be publicly lynched and that they could be pulled up for eventual
custodial death. It is later that Fr Dias went to the Police station and in a
batch of 10 persons identified the culprits behind bars. Meanwhile the crowd
had planned to ransack the shop of the other brother but the same was averted
and police resorted to a mild lathi charge to avert the same..
Today evening there were rumours of a public meet to be held but Fr Dias denied
that ther were any such moves. Several parishioners were visiting the
assaulted priest while Fr Dias profusely thanked each and every visitor for
their solidarity and condemning the cruel act on the priest.
Meanwhile Fr Dias who has been posted to this Parish just three years ago was
keen on ensuring that a proper agreement was executed. He showed this writer a
copy of the same seeking a three term lease agreement which remained unsigned.
When asked whether Fr Peter Cardozo had intervened into the matter he admitted
to have not received any communication from the Pilar priest, but was visited
by the daughter in law who has been dealing with this matter on behalf of her
mother-in-law.
As a matter of fact it appears that since the premises were leased to Ms
Cardoz, the action ought to be directed towards the lessee and not those that
were sublet the premises, but the assault is no answer and this has been
condemned by the parishioners and shop owners in the vicinity.
It is learnt that the local MLA Mr Shyam Satardekar and some councillors
visited the priest to express solidarity.
Fr Dias however maintains that the inaction of the police apparently owing to
dictates of a politician ( some suggested that it could be the PWD Minister Mr
Churchill Alemao ) resulted in the patience of the mob getting out of control.
Since the duo are cooling their heels for the moment, in the days to come it
will be of interest to know how the damage done to all the business ventures in
the premises will be compensated for. A police official confessed to this
writer that foreign exchange counter too suffered severe losses which needs to
be assessed.
Notwithstanding the legalities of the issue the assault on a priest is
disgraceful as felt by most parishioners and worst when all involved belonged
to the same community.
This is the third such incident heaping humiliation on the Catholic community
after the Scarlet murder, and the Carmona incident.
from the Tilamol Church end,
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Bollywood, fun, friendship, sports and more. You name it, we have it on
http://in.promos.yahoo.com/groups/bestofyahoo/
