URGENT PRESS RELEASE.
"SAVE OUR LAND" - COMMITTEE
[SOUL]
- DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
C/O Our Lady of Assumption Church,
M.G. Road, Kandivali East,
Mumbai 400 067.
Tel: 09820226227/ 09867223777 / 09821139523.
Announcing a peace rally on December 01 at Kandivali to demand redressal of our
grievances.
Re: 1. Withdraw acquisition notices against Our Lady of Assumption Church and
St Joseph's High School, M.G. Road, Kandivali West.
2. Withdraw acquisition notice against St Anthony's Church, Malawni,
Malad West.
3. Implement the setting up of the Cemetry on the Eastern Side of the
Western Suburbs without any further delay.
There was a special meeting convened on October 28 at Kandivali to discuss the
following above three important issues and urging the concerned authorities to
immediately sort out these vextious issues in favour of the community.
The following was the resolution passed at the meeting " Resolved that the
concerned BMC and other authorities must withdraw the acquisition notices
issued to Our Lady of Assumption Church and St Josephs' School, [these are also
heritage precincts] for acquiring parts of the Cemetry, School and Church
premises and work for alternate methods for smooth flow of water in the so
called 'Poisar River' which is now a stinking Nullah.
The said Church had also given land willingly for the road widening project in
front of the church on the past two occasions.
Besides, the notice issued to St Anthony' Church, Malawni, Malad West for
acquiring parts of the land which includes heritage precints and the residence
of the Priests and School Grounds for road widening should also be withdrawn.
The BMC must explore other means rather than the soft options of acquiring
church land for their faulty planning in allowing constructions to come up
opposite the church for which permissions were given as late as 2001.
On the Cemetry issue, in 1996 the BMC had alloted land for a composite cemetry
at Kandivali East. However because of the lapses of the BMC in not building the
boundary walls, the land meant for the Christian cemetry was encroached.
While the Muslim and the Hindu community have got their burial grounds, the
Christian community had no cemetry build for them. Under the leadership of the
United Christian Cemetry Committee has been vigorously pursuing the
implementation of the Christian cemetry since then. The community has to bear
the enormous costs of burial for the loved ones as the nearest cemetries are
located at Charkop, Malad West, and Oshiwara, Goregaon West a distance of
atleast 10-22 kms. While promises were given nothing concrete was done. Why is
this step motherly treatment to the Christians from the authorities?. Hence the
authorties must implement the setting up of the Cemetry without any further
delay.
We have already launched a signature campaign and the Youth of Kandivali and
ably supported by the various Units of the Sabha in the different parishes
have already collected more than 10,000 signatures till date which will be
submitted to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Municipal Commissioner, Prime
Minister and Smt. Sonial Gandhi, Chairperson of the NAC besides several other
authorities urging them to intervene to sort out these issues.
It was also unanimously decided that we would organise a massive peace rally
on 01 December 2012 to demand the fullfillment of our just demands.
The meeting was attended by Shri Gordon Dsouza President, The Bombay Catholic
Sabha and his team, Prashanth Pereira, the Youth Co-ordinator, Lennon Miranda,
the Youth Activist, Youth and Parishioners of Our Lady of Assumption Church,
Representatives from St Anthony's Church, Malawani, Mr. Simon Serrao, Secretary
of the United Christian Cemetry Community and his team and various other NGO's
and Activists .
Dolphy Dsouza - 9820226227
Spokesperson.
SOUL- "SAVE OUR LAND" - COMMITTEE
Email: [email protected]
