Team Goemkarponn
CANACONA – As yet another annual traditional feast day, devotees have once again come out to demand government’s intervention to prevail over Defence (Navy)’s decision to disallow entry of civilians on Anjediva island to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Brotas on Feb 2.
Even as it looks like the Archdiocese has given up all the hope to revive the tradition of celebrating two feasts annually (on Oct 4 and 2nd Feb), Octogenarian Natividade De Sa leading the one-man army refuses to give-up the religious rights of Catholic belief and inspite of repeated denials from all the concerned authorities, has once again demanded that Indian Navy (Defence)’s Seabird project (who usurped the Anjediva Island as part of its strategic location in view of national interests) to allow the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Brotas on February 2, on coming Sunday.
‘Navy should allow us even if it means permitting a handful faithfulls including a priest to celebrate a high-mass in the Anjediva church on the occasion of the Feast of OL of Brotas, which has abruptly stopped now, since over a decade ago (year 2014). Though I have reached my ripe age, religious sentiments of many Catholics including mine are gravely hurt and we are left disillusioned as we strongly feel we are discarded by our own democratically elected government.’
To support De Sa’s sentiments, Natty D’Souza of Chinchinim echoes similar sentiments stating all their hopes and trusts in a democratic country like us is infringed by our very own nation citing un-suitable reasons for denying civilians access to the Island stating it’s risky in view of its strategic location. This sorts of arrogance is not shown even by Portugal rulers or British rulers, even as the Anjediva Island though in their own (Portuguese) position, but located and more accessible from Karwar (Karnataka) , which at that time was governed by Britishers, before India’s Independence. However, as the Indian Navy took it over for the Seabird project, they were forced to stop celebrating feasts which is a direct infringement on one’s faith’.
Before and for several years after liberation of Goa from Portuguese regime, and though the island was not habituated, people had continued the legacy of its traditional celebrations of not one but annually two feasts at Anjediva Island (the other feast being of St. Francis de Assisi on October 4).
According to Natty, one good thing is the Navy is duty bound not to demolish or destroy the Anjediva Church, but maintain it with renovation and repairs as a Heritage Site.
But people, some of whom including Hindu families, are heartbroken for not allowing celebrating the feasts, which have been passed on to them by their ancestors.
‘It doesn’t spell good that a democratic government is denying the faithful’s to exercise their faith which they have been practicing for ages and not doing anything to prevail upon its Defence agency, the Indian Navy(Defence) having Seabird project in Karnataka seawaters, to allow even a handful of devotees with a priest to celebrate the two feasts on Feb 2nd and Oct 4th, feasts of OL of Brotas (also known as OL of Springs) and St. Francis de Assisi, respectively.
Besides, some more people, an NGO ‘Fudle Pilge Khatir’ has also pursued to the authorities but the Navy denial still holds, denying and inflicting direct infringement on Catholics , particularly devotees faith, adds sources. Likewise, associations/groups were formed to take up the cause, and are either disbanded or have gone in hibernation with the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman not showing any inclination towards the sentiments of it own people’, State De Sa
