Report on today's DCSCM organized 'Solidarity Meet' at Azad Maidan, Panjim.
I have not seen this many people packed at Azad Maidan at any time before.
The 18 December meed of the GBA could have been at best half as much full. I
have
photographs but I guess there will be plenty coming from more enterprising
persons.
A heavy downpour at the beginning couldn't discourage the will of the people
to weather the onslaught. The Azad Maidan was a literal sea of black
umbrellas. It was a vantage point to witness this packed Azad Maidam from
the third-floor verandas of the T.B. Cunha Hall.
A plethora of speakers, a few of them could have been at home on the BJP or
the RSS platform. Nevertheless one speaker (Muslim) made a tremendous impact
all round with his small winding-up story which goes like this:
A young priest is on a sponsored world tour. While in China at the clergy
resthouse he finds a very expensive looking public telephone and what
shocked him was the small notice on it mentioning that a call would cost
US$10,000/-. How come a call is so expensive here? He ask his superior.
'Son,
this telephone connects direct to Heaven' was the answer.
Next stopover was London. The saime story. US$10000/- a call, direct
connection to Heaven.
Next was New York, etc. etc, the same story. The last stop was India. Same
very expensive looking phone. But curiously, the price of the call was just
Re 1/-
Surprised the young priest asks his superior. How come a call to heaven from
India is so cheap as compared to all the other countries? The reply was.
'Son, you are in Heaven and it is a 'local call'
What the narrator wanted to say is: If India is Heaven, why do Hindus and
Muslims and Christians fight amongst themselves?
And if I had a chance to say a few words, it would be this:
I stand here, on behalf of the political party I represent (Goa Su-Raj
Party) to show our solidarity with the suffering Christian brothers and
Sisters in Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala and elsewhere in India, today.
This Nation was, I say was, built on the Foundation of SECULARISM -
meaning SEPARATION OF RELIGION FROM THE STATE vis a vis Governance. Sad to
say our present national leadership must be given a refresher course on
SECULARISM so that they know and understand that A SECULAR STATE HAS NO
RELIGION. RELIGION IS A PRIVATE AFFAIR ALTOGETHER and must not mix with
politics. What is happening today is just that.
INDIA, as it stands today, is NOT SECULAR, I repeat, NOT SECULAR any more.
By default being a state in the Indian Union of states, GOA is not SECULAR.
If it was, then our Government departments and offices would not conduct
religious ceremonies within these premises. I invite you to have a look
around. Ganesh festivities have just been concluded. Major Police stations
have been turned into temples. Then will come Diwali, then Christmas, then
ID. Feel free to worship.
Nation Built of Secular credentials cannot and must not have Majorities and
Minorities.
Any citizen of a Secular nation can convert to any religion of his/her
choice of his/her own free will. I want to know who has the right to say
'no'
to this constitutional freedom to decide.
Political parties which are soft on any religion cannot be allowed to
maintain their registration with the Election Commission of India, this
going against the secularity of the nation. Therefore BJP which is the
partner in crime with its associate organizations i.e. RSS, Bajrang Dal, VHP
must be de-registered as a political party of India. A tall order indeed,
isn't it?
Babri Masjid demolition was an eye opener. Burning alive of Australian
Graham Staines and his two sons was an eye opener. Godra and the Gujarat
holocaust was the eye opener. But Orissa and what is happening in Karnataka
is not. This is the proof that a heavy lid is on the eyes never to have them
opened. The
present UPA government headed by Dr. Manmohan Singh is responsible and
therefore must either retire or shape up.
This communal conflagration is no longer the internal matter of India. The
Comity of Nations of the world must step in to warn India's leadership into
swift and effective action or face international isolation.
Just one man's dream to sit on the Prime Minister's Chair of India is
witness to all this communal madness, right from the demolition of Babri
Masjid. Lal Krishna Advani must never be allowed to fulfill his life's
dream. This person belongs to Tihar Jail rather than occupying the esteemed
chair of India's Prime
Minister.
Dev Boren Korum
Thank you.
floriano
goasuraj
----- Original Message -----
From: "Goa's Pride www.goa-world.com" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 2:43 PM
Subject: [Goanet] Silence is very loud indeed !
Silence is very loud indeed!
The way Christians are being tormented, humiliated and
harassed all over India makes one doubt the assurances
given in the Constitution. Incidents like these had
never happened in the past 52 years of independence,
in such an organised manner.
Persecution is not new to Christianity and the
Christians have well been motivated by their master to
maintain their integrity amidst adversity. Posterity
and international community will judge the working of
democracy in India by the way the minorities are being
treated here.
Every religion preaches the message of love and anyone
who is truly religious will not stoop to such cowardly
criminal attacks. It is high time the Centre acted
positively and created a sense of security amongst the
Christians. We, as a nation, should rise to the
occasion and condemn such acts of violence no matter
against whom they are committed.
It is not known why in a country which boasts of
tolerance,such acts of terrorism are unleashed. Except
pious statements issued from time to time both by the
State and Central Governments nothing concrete has
been done.
Several temples are being built in the U.S. and other
parts of the world because Hinduism has much to offer.
The people of the West are not feeling threatened or
getting upset by the Hindu culture spreading with
force. It is sad that Hinduism and India are now being
discredited in the world by the unchecked hate
campaign in India.
Almost no conversion from the dalits and the tribals
to Christianity could have happened if only these
Hindutva's negative elements had turned their
attention to the still prevalent denial of human
rights to these sections and had done something to
give them some dignity.
We feel sad that the leaders of the government,
religious leaders (of all faiths) and respected Hindu
citizens in India and abroad are not calling upon the
forces behind, which are also maligning the name of
Mahatma Gandhiji, to disist from their hate campaign.
Their silence is very loud indeed.
Gaspar Almeida & Ulysses Menezes
