Quote ....."The recent spate of desecration of “Hindu” religious places of
worship in South Goa has resulted in an outcry by certain organizations on
the security aspect of the temples and religious places.
These "organisations" have called upon the administration to take steps to
protect the places of worship , on the grounds that such incidents create panic
and tension in the minds of people flaring up communal tension resulting in
breakdown of law and order."
The District Administration in order to curb such instances in South Goa
District ordered a “confidential survey” to be conducted through the “revenue
intelligence wing “ of the administration on all the religious places of
worship in order to eliminate such incidences of desecrecation as per a "
Memorandum" marked Most Immediate - Confidential dated 18/10/2008.
Hence all Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Executive Magistrates of the South Goa
District were directed to conduct a "confidential meeting of the Talathis " to
get the information pertaining to religious places giving particulars viz; a)
Name of the place of worship, b) religion to which it belongs, c) type of such
place viz; temple "Ghumti" church chapel mosque dargah etc d) area of the
structure, and property e) exact location of the religious place, f) whether
the same is registered under any Act or law g)the days dates of month when
people assemble in large numbers in the vicinity of the place h) whether any
managing committee is constituted and if so details of the same viz address
contact number, i) whether there was any religious tensions had occurred in
the past pertaining to the place j) the predominant minority community k) name
and contact number of four volunteers in the locality l) whether any security
system is provided and functional,
for the religious place, and m) any other information .
The information was required to be furnished to the Office of the
Collector/District Magistrate on or before 24th October, 2008 in soft copy
version. Now according to unconfirmed reports obtained from the Collectorate
this evening. this has been complied with but What has however surpised many
is that
a) the whole excercise has been conducted in top secrecy when ideally heads of
religious orders of the various communities Hindus Catholics and Muslims
could have been roped in to provide the Informationm;
b) there is no distinction made between the pre-Liberation places of worship
(conceding that the period of Inquisition between 1560 to 1812 was a
condemnable aberration in our history) and the post Liberation places of
worship
c) it is not clear how the survey will distinguish "places of worship" being
set up only to legitimise illegal occupation of land belonging to "gaunkaries"
communidade, private land holders mainly abseentee landowners and on
government land put up with political backing and without following the laws of
the land;
The secrecy adds further doubts over the intention of the coalition government
as this comes at a time when the ruling dispensation a coalition of sorts was
receiving flak for failure of the administration to avert such incidences of
desecration of places of worship ( though this has begun well since 2004 after
the BJP led coalition took over the Treasury benches technically sans mandate
of the people).
That there is a sinister political design behind such vandalisation "is clear
from the fact " that such acts were committed in the tribal belt "van
vasis", and the non Brahmin Hindu (Bhandari samaj ) areas (Bhandari samaj ) of
Sanguem, Curchorem, Bambolim, Ponda, Chodan, Quepem, Paroda and Cuncolim and on
some deities proped up in illegal hutments and migrant settlements.
The Government has already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and
also announced a monetary reward to those involved in the desecretion of
temple/"ghumties" . The arrest of a Hindu migrant from Karnataka allegedly
involved in the "Rakhandar Ajoba deity" which was desecrated at Cuncolim on
the eve of Dussehra is indeed a welcome step and the police ought to deserve
compliments --but the secrecy over compilation of the list is in itself remains
suspect.
Many also argue that the country is a secular state and does not recognise any
official religion .. Further the state Governments enjoys exclusive
jurisdiction in the maintainenace of law and order. Then why does the
administration not excercise its jurisdiction appropriately? Is it the fear of
a fundamentalist backlash from either the Hindu, Christian or Moslem community?
or is the soft peddling merely owing the political interference with the law
enforcing machinery?
This has caused apprehension and fear in the minds of the citizens who
hitherto enjoyed religious "tolerance" (though not "harmony" as is commonly
believed and definitely not post Liberation ) of all communities due the
dereliction of duties by the State in enforcing law and order as witnessed in
Karnataka, Orissa and Gujarat Rajasthan MP which are BJP ruled or backed states.
Unfortunately the right wing Hindu fundamentalists have used the Scheduled
tribes "Van vasis" to whom the Hindu laws are inapplicable except if directed
vide a notification in the official gazette, and being still governed by their
customary laws when drawn into such "politically backed" incidents intended to
polarise the community they are ignorant or even innocent of the implications
of such communal strife that their actions cause. The arrests made in the
Malegaon communal strife in the neighbouring State of Maharashtra this morning
has caused concern that there could be fundamentalists not only among Moslems
but in short "extremism" is sans any specific religious identity.
The Government many argue should interact with Heads of religious communities
which have a registered and well meaning organisation and not mere fly-by=night
Organisations that mascarade as "protectors of the faith " be it of any
religion, who usurp unto themselves powers without legitimacy to "protect" the
community as a whole.
The people who were informed of this survey by this writer have now stated that
the Government should make public immdeiately the list so compiled and have the
final list whetted by the religious heads before providing protection to such
places of worship.
It further feels that once this excercise is complete an ordinance be brought
to ensure that no religious place of worship is erected without the permission
of the Chief Secretary who should head a panel of religious heads and some well
meaning citizens of all communities belonging to the various castes to make it
a legitimate body.
This is of vital importance instead of merely crying wolf and pointing a finger
at fundamentalist in one community; and inviting the para military forces to
police in peace times -- at least Goa does not deserve such treatment being
otherwise admired world over as a peaceful state but being brought to disrepute
by elected representatives for their own personal gains.
GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES,
BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA)
+91 98221 58584 (24 HRS)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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