Adv. Joao Fernandes’s response to Fr Victor Ferrao published in the Navhind Times Panorama of 18 August 2013.
I work for my community and I love my community. I can see God through my work to my community. The ‘Maan’ in my village and other villages have been forcefully destroyed by the priests whom I named in my book. When I recently interacted with one of the priests who was responsible in destroying the ‘Maan’ in my village, he informed me that destroying the ‘Maan’ of the Gawdas was not his own idea but it was the idea of the Church. He told me that they never Christianise the cultural practices of the ‘Maan’ but instead just cut the neck of the ‘Maan’ so that they can impose their own culture, a culture that is European at heart. I know how in one case a priest forcefully entered the house where the Maan musical instruments were kept and flung them out. He threw out all the instruments on the pretext that they were instruments of Devils. The Gawdas suffered and tolerated such insults because they were voiceless and powerless. The priest who cut the neck of the Maan, did not even bother to know what was going on at the Maan. This shows how much the Church loves the tribals. Has any specific programme been set up by the Church or by the priests who have destroyed the Maan of the Gawdas in the 1990s to give the Gawdas voice or power? Till today nothing has been done. The Church has taken the shelter that it believes in equality, so no specific program is set up for Gawdas. If that is the case why is there need for special Tribal Cell in the Church: is this a pretence to show that they are working for the Gawdas? It is not the Gawdas who have given up the Maan voluntarily but it is due to attacks by the priests who consider whatever they preach and do, come from God and whatever the Gawdas do is the work of devils. Fr. Victor Ferrao certainly is not the right person to offer an explanation for the behavior of the priests because at that time he was just a student who was not aware of the of the full force of the atrocities that his fellow priests were committing against the Gawdas. A more honest explanation can be given only by the priests against whom the allegations have been levelled. Adv. Joao Fernandes In the same issue of the Navhind Times Panorama Rev. Dr. Victor Ferrao's response to Adv. John Fernandes published in the Navhind Times Panorama of 18 August While I certainly empathize with the sense of loss of the sacred ‘maan’ felt by my Gaudda brethren and welcome a discussion on the issue, I wish that the same be done with true openness of heart and mind.... -- Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal Moira, Bardez Goa, India E [email protected] P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350
