Robberies Or Threats, Life Has To Go On, Says Pilar Priest In Jharkhand
By Peter Raposo, SAR NEWS
AGHARMA, Jharkhand (SAR NEWS) -- When the going gets tough, the tough get
going. Thefts or threats, peace or violence, a young Catholic priest in
Gumla Diocese in the northern Indian Jharkhand state is determined to
carry on with his God-ordained mission to serve the poor.
"Muggings, armed robberies and threats, life in the mission goes on,"
says Father Paul Fernandes, 34, parish priest of Krist Jyoti Parish at
Agharma in Gumla Diocese.
On May 23 at 11p.m. a group of ten armed robbers threatened Father
Fernandes, his colleagues and others in the parish at gunpoint and made
off with Rs. 530,000 in cash and other valuables.
"This is not the first incident of an armed robbery in our parish or in
the neigbouring parishes. Several of them have happened and there's no
guarantee they won't happen again," Father Fernandes told SAR News, June
12.
Describing the May 23 attack, Father Fernandes said that he had gone to
bed early that night and Brother Tej Kumar Kindo, catechist John Lakra,
high school computer teacher Sunil Kumar and others staying in the church
premises had also retired early.
"One of our workers along with two others was sleeping in the mango
orchard to guard it from robbers. It was around 11p.m. when 10 dacoits
descended woke them up, tied them and asked them about those sleeping in
the presbytery. After having learnt that only Bro. Kindo and I were there
they broke open the gate and came directly to my room on the first floor.
My room was open; they woke me up and demanded money at gunpoint.
"Then they took me to Kindo's room and realising that I was the head of
the house, they brought me back to my room and asked me for money. They
threatened to kill Kindo and the worker in the mangrove if I refused to
part with the money."
Fearing an attack, Father Fernandes gave them Rs. 18,000 that was meant
for sponsoring children's free education, but the robbers rummaged
through the cupboards and drawers in the priest's room and collected all
they could lay their hands on.
"Then they told me they had information that we had around Rs 2.5 million
and demanded that I hand over the amount. I denied...but then they asked
for the keys of the house and opened all the cupboards. In one of the
cupboards, they found a safe where we used to keep the money of the
Catholic Co-operative Credit Society. In all, there was Rs. 515,000. They
snatched it.and also took away a mobile phone, wristwatch, DTH receiver
and even sacramental wine, seven bottles in all," said Father Fernandes.
"Soon, disturbed by the noise in the corridor, my catechist Lakra, who
was sleeping in the Youth Centre building came out sensing something was
wrong. Those guarding the gate with guns saw him and asked him to open
the gate of the centre but he refused to do so and instead began screamed
for help. The others too realised something was amiss and began
shouting," Father Fernandes said.
The robbers immediately took to their heels but not without the booty.
Lakra then came out and rang the church bell and the people from the
neighbouring villages gathered at the parish. However, it was too late,
as the robbers had escaped into the forest under the cover of darkness.
The police are yet to make any arrest in this connection.
"Since the last two years that I've been in this parish, around nine to
ten parishes of both Gumla and the neighbouring Simdega Diocese have been
robbed in a similar fashion," said Father Fernandes. "Robberies are a
daily affair in our region. Thefts of cattle are very common. Buses
coming from Ranchi were looted at least five times since I've been here.
Traveling in the night is simply impossible. No one travels after 8p.m.
The diocesan authorities have instructed the priests not to venture out
after 6p.m. due to the danger of armed robberies," the priest added.
But for this intrepid Pilar missionary, living in such circumstances has
become a way of life. "It really doesn't look like a danger or threat for
those living here. At times, we have to take patients in the middle of
the night to the nearest hospital, which is about 10 km from our parish,"
he says.
"We are simply helpless. One cannot do anything about it. The police
themselves are afraid of their lives. In fact, when we complained to the
police on the night of the robbery in our parish, they refused to come as
they were sleeping. The government does nothing about it. It is a sorry
situation," laments Father Fernandes.
But what can this one man do about it all? "Our parish took the
initiative and declared a 'bandh' (shutdown). Christians, tribals,
Muslims and Hindus participated in it. The roads were blocked and inquiry
demanded. But the police resorted to caning," said Father Fernandes.
The local MLA, Enos Ekka, who came later at the scene, condemned the
police action, took the injured to hospital and ordered the police to
catch the culprits within six days. "But nothing has happened so far.
Life has to go on. We have to keep doing our work," says the unfazed
priest.
Ordained in 1998, Father Fernandes was first posted in Andaman and
Nicobar where he worked for four years after which he was appointed to
Agharma Parish.
Pilar Fathers have been working in this mission since 1977. After
building a residence, high school, and a youth centre, a church was built
and inaugurated in October 2000. It has around 480 Catholic families.
END
