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Domnic Fernandes continues (Part III) his reminiscence of
Mapusa of the 1950s
http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sidB6
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Christian concern at RSS parade with Guns, Modi sacking nuns from hospital
http://www.milligazette.com/dailyupdate/2006/20060406_rss_guns_modi.htm
All India Christian Council's Press Statement
Christian concern at RSS parade with Guns in Jhansi
Narendra Modi sacking Catholic Nuns of Ahmedabad leprosy Hospital
6 April 2006: The Christian community has expressed its alarm at the naked
display of armed strength by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Jhansi and
its coercion of the minority communities in various states, particularly
Rajasthan and Gujarat.
In a letter this morning to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Dr John Dayal,
secretary general of the Christian Council, President of the Catholic Union
and Member of the Government of India’s national Integration Council,
apprised him of the fears of the minority communities in general and the
Christian community in particular over the recent developments.
In his letter, Dr Dayal said: “The political and administrative heads of
State governments, and the law and order and criminal justice system, who
bothers to take suo moto cognisance of matters that not only disturb
religious micro-minorities such as Christians most severely, but, in my
opinion, have a profound bearing on the strength of our nation’s federal
democratic structure, and eventually, its peace and its integrity.
“The Union government can, if it so wants, ensure that errant States do not
enforce bigoted regulations or discriminate on grounds of religion as if
they were not bound by the niceties of the country’s historic secular ethos
and its international commitments. A decline in the sense of confidence and
security of weak religious and other minorities does take away from what an
8 or 10 per cent annual economic growth seeks to build.
“You are of course aware of the single-minded pursuit of a communal agenda
by the Government of the State of Rajasthan, both in the case of the
Emmanuel Mission as also in bringing the so-called Freedom of Religion Bill.
I bring to your notice two more major events in the last two days that cause
grave concern.
“The naked display of armed might by the RSS in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh even
as people in many parts were participating in democratic elections to State
assemblies, has traumatised minorities far and away. The entire nation saw
on live Television the private army of the RSS boastfully marches through
the city with guns in their hands – many of them modern weapons and some
muskets which exist in large numbers in both rural and urban India. The
commanders of this private army left no one in any doubt why they had
graduated from the wooden lathis or staves on to modern automatic weapons.
Some of them on TV even compared it to Flag Marches by the Army – almost as
if the nation has given the now fully armed RSS total responsibility of its
defence and internal security. The TV news reports also made clear that the
RSS had defied the civil authorities and violated the Arms Act. And Uttar
Pradesh, in which State the town of Jhansi is, is not even ruled by the BJP.
You can imagine what these armed cadres can do with the patronage of the
State governments – and such patronage and support exists in Gujarat,
Rajasthan and other States.
“Equally bizarre and violent in impact, though differently, is the Gujarat
government’s annexation of the Leprosarium in Ahmadabad, the sacking of the
half a dozen Catholic Religious Sisters, or Nuns, who were in charge, and
their final ejection from the Ave Maria Convent in the institute which had
been their home for Sixty years. It was back in 1949, soon after
Independence, that the then Government of Bombay had invited Jesuit Father
Villalonga to kindly manage the leprosy menace in the city if Ahmadabad. He
took the assistance of the Kumbakonam based Franciscan sisters of FMM, led
by Sister Naemi, who ran a huge leprosy hospital in south India, to take
charge. The Government and the Bishop signed an MOU, the Nuns were invited
to set up the Ave Maria Convent and a series of disused buildings were given
them for the new leprosy hospital financed by the government. Working for a
pittance of an honorarium, the Nuns took up the challenge and their work of
60 years is now legendary. The five year MOU was routinely extended over the
decades. Till last month. The Sisters did not think anything was amiss when
the Health Commissioner told them that the MOU would be revived soon, even
if the old one was to end on 31 March 2006. It was by happenchance that one
Sister saw a letter sent by the Government to a senior lady doctor asking
her to take over charge from the Nuns. Simultaneously, the Nuns were given a
couple of days to vacate their convent. The Health Commissioner expressed
his helplessness. The orders had come from the political bosses. The victims
are not the Nuns, but the hapless patients. But it is clear why the Nuns
were sacked, dispossessed of their home and thrown out of the hospital. For
their religion, though a Leprosarium is hardly the place for evangelization!
“Dear Prime Minister, the time has come for a serious look at this pattern
of hate against Christians. This is not the average communal riot or
victimization which sporadically bursts out, and then dies out. This is a
sustained terror campaign against our community, even if each incident is
separated from the next in space and time. May I request you therefore most
humbly that the Union Government do consider comprehensive political and
administrative measures that send out the correct signals to the guilty, and
extend assurances to the victims, “ Dr Dayal said.
forwarded by Edward
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