The Goan Catholic Welfare Union
J.B. Villa, Park Street, B.B. Borkar Road, Alto Porvorim- Goa 403521
Tel: 2420394 , Mob: 09923133412
IFFI clashing with St. Xavier feast: GCWU petitions Sonia Gandhi.
The Goan Catholic Welfare Union (GCWU) has strongly condemned the
adamant attitude of government for refusing to re-schedule the closing
date of IFFI which is clashing with the Feast of St. Francis Xavier thus
playing with the sentiments of the people. We have faxed letters to the
Prime Minister of India, Mr Manmohan Singh and the Chairperson of UPA,
Sonia Gandhi stated Juino De Souza, President of GCWU.
We have written stating that it is the bounden duty of every government
to protect the religious rights of its people and specially of the
minority community that is guaranteed under our constitution and it is
regretted that the Minister of Information & Broadcasting, (Smt) Ambika
Soni and the Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Digambar Kamat are hurting the
religious sentiments of not only the Catholic community but entire goan
community by holding the closing ceremony of the International Film
Festival of India (IFFI) currently underway at Goa on the 3rd December
2011 that is coinciding with the feast of St. Francis Xavier, Patron
Saint of Goa which is a public holiday declared in his memory.
The letter further states that on this day lakhs devotees of all faiths
converge at Old Goa to pay their respects, homage and offer prayers and
devotion in honour St Francis Xavier. It is therefore a gross violation
of religious rights for the government to have IFFI closing ceremony
sponsored by the Central government on this holiday with gala dinners
and fireworks and is an insult and attack on the religious sentiments of
the people who believe in St. Francis Xavier and whose relics are
preserved in the BASILICA BOM JESUS for all to venerate.
There is an uproar at Goa with people staging agitations, dharnas and
black flag protests during IFFI which is showing the Congress led
government in Goa in poor light. The BJP has also addressed the issue
calling the Congress party communal.
The people are furious that the Congress government instead of taking
responsibility and applying the right correctives are instead giving
lame excuses and making incorrect statements by placing blame on
extraneous bodies such as the International film Committee and the Film
Federation of India who have no role to play in changing the closing
date of IFFI, thus taking the people for a ride.
We have brought to their notice that all the people are asking is to
advance the closing ceremony from 3rd. December to 2nd December 2011
which is no big deal. Let the people be free to focus on the Feast of
St. Francis Xavier with any diversion and which is their right. I shall
thank you on behalf of ‘The Goan Catholic Welfare Union’ to kindly use
your good offices and intervene in this religious matter urgently so as
to avoid the clashing of IFFI closing date with that of the feast of St.
Francis Xavier.
Copies of the letter have been sent to the Finance Minister, Pranab
Mukherjee, Defence Minister, A. K. Anthony, Minister of Information, Smt
Ambika Soni and the Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani.
Juino De Souza
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Protect Goa's natural beauty
Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve
Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
