GOOD FRIDAY.

During his recent visit to Communist country Cuba, the current Pope asked his host the Cuban president Raul Castro to give an official holiday on Good Friday for Cubans impressing upon Raul Castro the importance and significance of this day which is the most holy day in Catholicism. In Cuba since Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1957 Christian Religious holidays are cancelled by the communist regime there though both the brothers Fidel and Raul were born Catholics and studied in Jesuit School. Raul Castro gave a very sympathetic hearing to the Pope’s plea for declaring a national holiday on Good Friday.

Very shortly that means coming Friday Christians will mark Good Friday in Goa with reverence and penance. This day was always marked as holiday in Goa except during the short period of Parrikar’s governance a few years back when Parrikar created a coup and brought in his BJP government to power. As a Hindu fanatic Parrikar then showing his real communal and anti-Christian characteristic cancelled this holiday thereby hurting the sentiments of Christians in Goa and also of many secular Hindus. As a devine punishment within a short period his Government collapsed and Parrikar fell into opposition. That the next government restored this holiday was a different matter but what is of importance was the punishment Parrikar got from God for hurting the feelings of Goan Christians.

When minorities’ sentiments are hurt there always comes punishment in any form for the wrong doers. Ghandiji call this type of punishment as Devine Punishment. For this reason persons in power must stop hurting the minorities. In Goa Christians are in minority and for being so they require full protection and support from the majority community wielding power and authority.

When Shashikala Kakodkar was the Chief Minister of Goa, criminal Kumar was hanged at Aguada, this was the first hanging in Goa and till now the last too. Befitting His Christian principle the Patriarch of Goa Raul Gonsalves pleaded openly with the Goa government to plead Kumar case to commute his gallows to life imprisonment when Kumar’s sentence for gallows was confirmed. Reacting to this plea of Goa Patriarch, Shashikala true to her communal and anti-Christian tirade issued a negative statement criticising the Patriarch saying ‘the Bishop has made this request to gain a cheap publicity for Him’. By listening to this arrogant and insulting reply from Shashikala Kakodkar, the sentiments of Goan Catholics were greatly hurt and within a short time thru devine punishment Shashikala Kakodkar’s government collapsed thru the coup brought in by Dayananda Narvenkar and Dilkush.

People in Goa now elected Parrikar’s BJP not because they loved BJP’s principles but as an opposition to the misrule of Gongress Party dominated by the corrupt MLA’s and Ministers. Parrikar should cash on this opportunity to rule Goa justly and refrain from being anti-Christian. Majority of Christians have voted for BJP this time when Parrikar showed his regret for doing injustice to Christians during his earlier short stint as Chief Minister of Goa.

Now as an atonement for his earlier sin he committed by cancelling Good Friday holiday, on coming Friday that is on Good Friday, he should go to Panjim Church and ask silently from Jesus Christ forgiveness for his earlier sin against Christians. And simultaneously he must openly declare his sorrow thru Press Release. In this way Parrikar will enrich his humility which is the core of Christianity and gain a goodwill from Christians in Goa which will surely fetch him very good dividends in the form of Christian votes in future.

Parrikar Bab, Good Friday is coming to you to fortify your rule in Goa. Don’t be proud and arrogance in front of God’s commandment. You and your BJP is nothing compared to Cuba and Casto brothers. Even they realised the importance of Good Friday inspite of being hard core anti-Christian communists. Be humble and bow down before Jesus Christ otherwise thru Devine punishment your fall is imminent again which I don’t want to happen. I want your judicious rule to flourish in Goa but for this you have to be humble before Jesus Christ..

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.