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Goan Christians protest against attacks

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Christians here refuse to believe that a foreign hand is behind attacks against their community and blame communal forces, who have suddenly become active after the Bharatiya Janata Party took over in the state.

A huge protest rally held on Sunday in Mapusa, which was led by Goa Archbishop Dr Raul Gonsalves, echoed similar feelings.

"The recent bomb blast in a Vasco church proves that communal discord is being sown in Goa," said Dr Gonsalves, while expressing regret at the growing atrocities against Christians.

He appealed to the mammoth rally to pray for peace and religious harmony in the country and express solidarity for a movement against attacks on Christians. He also expressed hope that Prime Minister A B Vajpayee, after meeting Pope John Paul II, would take necessary measures to protect Christians.

Advocate Uday Bhembre, a guest speaker at the rally, said, "Blaming the foreign hand over every atrocity committed against minorities in India has become a fashion for investigating agencies and government officials."

"The Union government has done little to check the growth and activities of small fundamentalist groups, which are trying to sow the seeds of communal hatred in the name of religion," he said, making it obvious that he was referring to the groups like the Bajrang Dal.

Over 5,000 people from the area took out a procession around the city holding a huge portrait of Brother George K C. who was brutally murdered in Mathura recently, as well as placards protesting against attacks on minorities.

Though Goa has almost 26 per cent Catholic population, there has hardly been communal tension. In fact, the recent blast was the first in Goa. Coincidentally it occurred when the BJP-supported coalition government led by Francisco Sardinha rules the state.

In spite of suspicion raised in the past of some communal fanatics having hand in the blast, the police insist that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence is behind it, which the BJP also echoed.

In fact, local Congress leaders have openly stated that it is a government-sponsored act. A central team led by party leader Ajit Jogi also visited the state a fortnight ago to collect first-hand information of the incident.

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