Officials at the office of the Rear Admiral Western
Command Mumbai who oversee the functioning of the
Naval Sea Bird at Anjediva off Canacona coast are
probably unclear of the conditions or rather appear
"to ignore" (as has been their strategy in dealing
with civilians wherever they venture ) the ground
realities under which the Island had been handed over
to them for the Sea Bird Project in 1987 now
commissioned as INS KADAMBA .
They never take kindly to the letters exchanged by the
Archdiocese of Goa and Daman. Last year 2005 they did
not permit entry to the island allegedly because a
mofussil group was claiming that they should be
permitted on the Island to celebrate a feast of a
Hindu deity. But did not have the courtesy to put
the same in writing and merely conveyed it
telephonically to the priest overseeing the activities
of the Church.
The Navy fell head over heels to accept this new
theory so also the District Commissioner of Uttar
Kanara. They vowed to accept this demand and equated
the terms and conditions of Goa Government to permit
celebration of feasts of Our Lady of Brotas and St
Francis de Assisi with that demanded by this
unregistered mofussil group from Karwar, apprehending
law and order situation which was off their own making
and foolishness.
This itself was wrong but then Station Commander Sea
Bird Commodre B R Rao created this mess fed false
information to Mr George Fernandes then Union Defence
Minister and informed both Ms Sonia Gandhi then Leader
of Opposition and the ex Chief Minister of Goa Mr
Manohar Parrikar "that temples were demolished on the
Island and reconstructed elsewhere all this was
rubbish as proved by the undersigned in letters and
documentary evidence to the President of India the
Prime Minister and the Defence Minister.
But yet the Navy uses this alibi. The Archdiocese of
Goa & Daman does not wish to ruffle feathers for fear
of communal backlash. Agreed but why compromise on our
legitimate right our historical beginnings of the
Portuguese advent to Goa , the construction of the
first Church which bears the insignia of the Mother
Church ( the second one was St Catherine Chapel /
Church at Old Goa)
Now to repeat this same alibi this year too we
understand that notwithstanding the traditions and
sentiments involved in visiting the church (they have
already ruined one chapel of St Francis de Assisi
owing to neglect by navy) for customary feast they are
perhaps inclined to direct that the visit to the
island for the feast OR ANY OTHER RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY
will be turned down for operational and security
reasons by the officials of the Western Command
Mumbai their higher ups.
This writer contacted officials in New Delhi Karwar
Mumbai and the offices of the President Prime Minister
Chairperson of UPA Ms Sonia Gandhi Dr John Dayal, Ms
Margaret Alva to clear the point that :
1. any decision not to permit the people of Goa and
others to celebrate the feast AMOUNTS TO VIOLATION OF
AGREED CONDITIONS
2. as regards reference TO ANY OTHER RELIGIOUS
ACTIVITY ONE IS NOT CLEAR .ONLY TWO FEASTS NOSSA
SENHORA DE BROTAS ON 2ND FEB AND FEAST OF ST FRANCIS
DE ASSISI 4TH OCT WERE CELEBRATED ON ANJEDIV ISLAND
SURVEY NOS 1 , 2 , 3 CANACONA TALUKA AREA 34 0075 HA
AND NONE OTHER UNTIL 2004
4. MEETING OF JT SEC (NAVY) WITH CHIEF OF SEC GOVT OF
GOA ON 6.6.1987, ORDERS OF TRANSFER BY GOA GOVT
DATED 8/12/1987 26/07/1989 AND LETTER DATED 24/04/2000
FROM CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF IS VERY CLEAR --- NAVY
SHOULD ALLOW CUSTOMARY FEAST OF BOTH AS ABOVE ---
SUBJECT TO SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS.
5. FEASTS AND ISLAND RELATE TO GOA THOUGH PASSAGE TO
THE ISLAND IS THRO KARWAR KARNATAKA
6. REFUSAL AMOUNTS TO VIOLATION OF AGREED CONDITIONS
AND SMACKS OF HIGHANDEDNESS OF NAVY & A VOLTE FACE
BESIDES HURTING RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS . RUIN OF ASSISI
CHURCH IS YET ANOTHER VIOLATION. FORTY FOUR CANNONS ON
ISLAND ANOTHER CASE OF VIOLATION OF TERMS DEMANDING
PRESERVING THESE ITEMS
Therefore notwithstanding what may be the view point
of the Navy as done last year 2005 ALL ARRANGEMENTS
HAVE BEEN FINALISED AT OUR END. DEVOTEES WILL VISIT
CHURCH AN HOUR BEFORE THE FIRST MASS AT 1000 AM AND
SECOND MASS AT 1300 HRS AND RETURN . ONLY TRANSPORT,
DRINKING WATER AND MOBILE TOILETS NEED TO BE ARRANGED
by the NAVY.
It is reliably learnt that the office of the Secretary
Revenue Government of Goa has put forth his comments
and placed the same for the directions of the Chief
Minister. It is expected that the Chief Minister will
contact the Union Defence Minister and ensure that the
terms of the agreement are abided with. incidentally
the Secretary Revenue also doubles up as Secretary to
the Governor, but as the Governor is away until 3rd
February, 2006 contacts are being established with is
OSD Mr Sebastian Z.
It is a fact that CM Rane too had made a blunder in
stating that temples were shifted from the Island and
that led to further confusion.
The officials at the A
