AERIAL VIEW
In Mumbai, Sawant said that he would recommend that the Centre ban the controversial outfit Progressive Front of Goa.
He said that Goa would not allow any kind of religious conversions.
Well, the statement has come as a surprise, as for the past three years, he was chief minister and did nothing to stop or investigate if such a thing exists in Goa.
Of course, there have been some wild conversions allegations, but he did nothing to prove them right or wrong. Being a chief minister of the State, it does not suit him to make such wild allegations just to make an impression.
A few days ago, he made a statement that his government would rebuild the temples destroyed by the Portuguese.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
Editor, Goemkarponn
Ever since he has won the second term as the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant seems to be getting bolder with his right-ist statements, which may well be to please his bosses at the Centre and, particularly the Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
In Mumbai, Sawant said that he would recommend that the Centre ban the controversial outfit Progressive Front of Goa.
He said that Goa would not allow any kind of religious conversions.
Well, the statement has come as a surprise, as for the past three years, he was chief minister and did nothing to stop or investigate if such a thing exists in Goa.
Of course, there have been some wild conversions allegations, but he did nothing to prove them right or wrong. Being a chief minister of the State, it does not suit him to make such wild allegations just to make an impression.
A few days ago, he made a statement that his government would rebuild the temples destroyed by the Portuguese.
When a chief minister of the State makes a statement of such intensity, he has to have data in hand. Does Dr Pramod Sawant know precisely how many temples the Portuguese destroyed? and which ones he intends to rebuild?
Simply making such wild statements is undoing his position as a peaceful state chief minister. His comments only create a rift in the Goan society, which has lived in harmony for centuries.
Never did in Goa people fight on social media over the religion of Hindus, Muslims and the Christian, but such irresponsible statement by the people at the helms creates a divide in the society.
As the CM of the State, his primary responsibility is to prevent incitement and protect people from atrocity crime, and he has to abstain from making such statements as it only encourages violence.
We all know what is happening in the other parts of the country. Goa is one of the most peaceful States, and we need to protect its social fabric.
Unfortunately, religion has sometimes been cynically distorted to justify incitement to violence and discrimination. It is vital that political leaders across the p[olitical spectrum show some kind of leadership and not merely use their supporters as pawns to achieve their goals.
Mr CM, all religions teach respect for life and recognize human beings as fundamentally equal. These principles summon us to show respect for all human beings, even those we might profoundly disagree with or whose cultures might seem most alien to us.
If you have any particular case of conversion or temple destruction, why don’t you act if injustice is done? Why generalize the issue? After all, everyone has the Right to choose their religion.
In the case of temples, even your own Governor P.S.Sreedharan Pillai has commented in a statement that whatever was done during the Portuguese regime was our past. We cannot leave in the past and leave in the present and think of the future.
Who stops you from acting if there is a particular case by anyone of forceful conversion? But the complaint has to be genuine. Simply do not use the State machinery to achieve your party’s goals.
