A PROUD INDIAN.
By Valmiki Faleiro.
Serializing a topic in a newspaper column bears a major handicap. It does not provide the writer the liberty to comment on a contemporary subject until the serialization is complete. I had to wait until the ‘Goan music’ series was done – and depart from the Goa/Goan thread this Sunday – to dwell on something I strongly felt about… I’ve always been a proud Indian. Perhaps because my father, a doc in the Indian Army Medical Corps, christened me with a great Indian name. Later, and more convincingly,when I learnt of our ancient civilization’s great traditions. I look and talk like an Indian alright. Yet, I was at times asked, in India and the few times abroad, which country I hailed from. I remember this happened in New Delhi in March-1977. I was selected for an ‘AsianWriters Workshop’ organized by India International Centre, UNESCO (Asia Centre forBook Development), Union Ministry of Education and the Authors’ Guild of India. In agroup of 30 – twenty Indians and ten other Asians – I was asked at cocktails following book launches, “Which country do you hail from?” “I am Indian, from Goa,” I’d proudly say. I’m not sure I’d do that today. Not after Babri Masjid. Not after the religious pogrom in Modi’s Gujarat of 2002, when fetuses were yanked out from expectant mothers and both set alight. Not when tribals are chased into forests, their homes and lives torn asunder, as presently in Orissa, Karnataka and elsewhere.
In the name of god and against ‘forced conversions’ (to Christianity, a faith that, since the arrival of St. Thomas the Apostle inyear 52 AD, still accounts for a mere 2% of India.) I was born into a Catholic family. Even if I cannot honestly call myself religious. I hold no brief for obscurant Christian sects alluring people to change faiths with money or other inducements – a fact sufficiently documented by third-party observers from the western(largely Christian) world. I could never for a moment brook forcible conversion of a human being – whether offaith, culture, or whatever the victim would otherwise like to follow. Informed Goans, inparticular, will be aware of human misery of such mindless acts. After the Pope divided the world into two spheres – Africa and Asia to Portugal and the Americas to Spain for spreading Christianity, we know the results. Mercifully, five centuries have elapsed since that happened, and our views would at best be academic. Even if superfluous, the current madness in parts of India begets the question: why target Catholics and other long-established Indian churches? Will the VHP/Bajrang Dal cite a single instance of Catholic/Indian churches having forced, coerced, allured orinduced conversions? If at all one hand feels the itch, why scratch the other? Are elections so omnipotent that dividing one’s own home country with the politics of hate is greater than the gods one pretends to protect?
The issue is not ‘forcible conversions’ (or, for that matter, forcible ‘re-conversions.’)Whatever their weaknesses in the run up to August 15, 1947, our leaders gave the nation – ravaged by the sands of time and military history – a fitting Constitution on Jan 26, 1950. We have laws to deal with forcible conversions. Did the VHP/Bajrang Dal take recourse to these? Unfortunately, no one seems to realise – from LK Advani down to the cretins of the Bajrang Dal on the street – that maiming or killing one person, or tearing apart one family, will produce ten terrorists of tomorrow. Few kids who’ve survived seeing his/her parent or sibling being raped, killed or tossed alive into flames would forget – or forgive –the perpetrators. We’re still paying the price for Ayodhya and Gujarat. Pay back time will come from Orissa and Karnataka much after Advani and current VHP leaders have completed their life’s journey. How many Hindus does the BJP/VHP fancy to represent when orchestrating such hate?As vain a question as it would be to ask the sick minds that went about defiling isles of peace and prayer – like the ‘Rakkondar’ shrine in Cuncolim, the Mahavir statue inMolem, and dozens of temples, crosses and masjids in Goa.
I am against bans of any kind. Banning the Bajrang Dal is no answer. As much as violence will not stop forcible conversions. The answer lies elsewhere. BJP/VHP leadersmust know it, and perhaps pretend that they do not. One of course cannot be sure. Of one thing I am certain about. If asked again, “Which country do you hail from?” I will probably say Costa Rica, Cabo Verde, or Caracas! A once proud Indian, I’m now deeply ashamed.
PS: It is the same convoluted logic. Earlier this week, someone tried silencing social activist Aires Rodrigues and the heritage conservation champion Prajal Sakhardande by getting them bloodied black and blue. Where has our sanity flown? (ENDS)
October 21, 2008
October 19, 2008
MONTH’S MIND IN LOVING MEMORY OF REGINALD B. VAZ
In Loving Memory of
REGINALD B. VAZ
10.10.1954 – 21.09.2008
(Raia-Goa/Kuwait)
The measure of your life in years, was exceeded only by your deeds.
A Requiem Mass for the soul of
Our Dearest Regi will be held on
Tuesday, 21st October 2008 at 7:15 pm
at the Holy Family Cathedral (Kuwait City)
Time and days slip gently by, but love and memories never die.
In our hearts you will always stay, loved and remembered every day.
We have lost, heaven has gained, one of the best, this world contained.
Offered by:
His Sorrowful Mother Anna Santana Vaz
Bereaved Wife Sheela, Children Royston & Samantha
Brothers & Sisters
Joe, Candida, Louisa, Rosario, Michael
May His Soul Rest In Peace
October 15, 2008
POWER OF CHRISTIANS.
POWER OF CHRISTIANS.
If Hinduism is hurt, only India and Nepal will be hurt. If Judaism is hurt, only Israel will be hurt. If Islam is hurt, many parts of the world will be hurt. And, if Christianity is hurt, the entire world will be hurt and its effect will be seen everywhere in the world. Since the persecution for Christians started in India aggressively 2 months back by the Hindu fanatics, the entire world stood by Indian Christians in unison. This unity made not only the Government of India under Manmohan Sing and Sonia Gandhi eat a humble pie but worst still the State Governments where worst persecution done, bowed down before the tremendous pressure from all around. In Orissa, its Government finally accepted the fact that all round persecution for Christians have been done even to the extent of raping the nun while earlier it was denied. Where are the gods and goddesses of Hindu fanatics gone? Do their gods and goddesses allow to kill innocent people, rape nuns, destroy the houses and properties of others? If it is yes, then I refuse to acknowledge such a religion and their gods and goddesses. The religion that gives liberty to its followers to destroy and kill people of other religions is not a religion, it is a satanic cult and as such it should be rejected by everyone.
It took almost half a month for Orissa Government to acknowledge the truth. Are Orissa, Karnataka, Madya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other States where minority Christian community is harassed, tortured and displaced governed by the rule of law? Are the administrations of these States in the hands of persons who respect the rule of law? It looks to me these States are ruled by parallel Governments like what we have in tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan where village lords are the rulers and the legal de Jure Governments are just bystanders. After a careful study of the hatred against minorities in India, it looks to me that India is hijacked by the Hindu fanatics and Hindu terrorists. It is because of such fanatics and such terrorists that India was splitted in 1947, Jinnah was just an excuse. If these anti-Indian Hindu fanatics and anti-Indian Hindu terrorists do not stop their hatred for minorities in India, then there is every possibility for India to further split. As it is in the quasi federal set up of India, there is lot of room for secessionists. Kashmiris are one example while Nagas and other northerners are doing their best to secede from India and yesterday we already saw how Khalistanis did such a huge damage for the fake Indian unity. If India is today united it is not because all Indians want this unity but all Indians are coerced into submission to this artificial unity. This type of forced unity will never last for long. It is not my wish to see India further splitted but nature will take its own course. The fury of nature will come like a calamity when unnatural acts are committed. We the people on this earth are all children of same God. Persecuting some children of God by other children is an unnatural act and it is a sin against God which is punishable and this punishment from God will surely come, it may be during my lifetime or over my dead body.
The anti-Indian Hindu fanatics and terrorists think that they are more Indian and Christians and other minorities are less Indian. They make a big mistake by thinking thus. To liberate India and to protect India, Indian Christians have done yeomen services. Much before Ghandis and Nehrus it was Christian Goan Indian Dr. Francis Luis Gomes who raised the voice for the freedom of India from European soil. The contribution of Christians for the cause of India and Indians was second to none. India does not belong to Hindus only and more so Hindu fanatics only. They are cowards to get afraid of miniscule minority of Christians. This tiny minority is not capable of overpowering numerically powerful Hindu India. Conversion is just a fake excuse. If Christians and especially Catholics were that much of interested in forced conversion in India, under the Christian colonial rule the entire India could have been converted into Christian. Indian Hindu fanatics are crooks towards their own fellow Hindus whom they want to be always downtrodden and live a subhuman life under subjugation on the basis of caste system. Christianity opposes this system because Christianity is the religion of equality. Christianity makes a human being as full fledged person. Christianity does not preach cruelty. The way Hindu fanatics acted with Christians recently it looks their cruelty is worst than that of terrorists who plant bombs in India. The mode of killing innocent people instantly by the terrorists in bombing is far better than the mode of killing used by Hindu fanatics thru torturing, raping, cutting of the limbs, parading naked on the streets and such other humiliation. This does not mean that I accept the killing by the terrorist thru bombings in India. .
In his recent statement, BJP premier in waiting Advani condemned the raping and killing of the nun in Orissa and said it is a shame on humanity. Mr. Advani, it is a shame on all Hindus like you who support fanatic Hindus. Your Hinduism has brought disgrace on Hindus as a whole and acquired bad name for Hinduism. All Hindus do not subscribe to the views of fanatics Hindus who created problems for Christians but unfortunately Hindus like you silently subscribe to the views of fanatic Hindus. Now those who were guilty of killing Hindu Swami in Orissa were apprehended. Hence, it was acknowledged that Christians were not responsible for the killing of Hindu Swami. In this case it is proved beyond any doubt that Christians were not at all involved in killing Hindu Swami and his colleagues. So what is your view on the destruction of Christians, their properties, their places of worship and so many other crimes against them? How can you and Hindu fanatics retrieve the damages done already to Christians in India in the wake of killing of Hindu Swami? Can anybody in your own community compensate for the losses of lives, maiming of innocent Christians, raping of nuns, assaulting mercilessly of priests and destruction of Christian properties and places of their worship? Above all, can any one repair the enormous damage done to Indian socialism by the Hindu fanatics thru their dastardly and bestial acts? By persecuting Christians, Hindu fanatics have bastardized their brand of Hinduism.
During the whole turmoil created by Hindu fanatics against Christians, there was no retaliatory move from Christians. If it was Muslim community or Sikh community instead of Christians at the receiving end, there would be chaos all over India. But true to its teachings, Christians remained silent, unretaliatory and non violent. This does not mean Christians are always and everywhere mild and unretaliatory. If Christians decide to become violent then there is no power on earth to stop them from doing what they want to do. Some of the deadliest and cruelest acts in the history of mankind were committed by the Christians. Who fought the religious wars so forcefully in Europe known as Crusades? Not Christians? Who dropped the deadliest and foulest Atom Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Not Christians? Who were the deadliest terrorists who performed deadliest operations for the cause of Palestinians? Not Christian Arabs? Who were the fighters who fought ferociously for the cause of Konkani in Goa? Not 7 Christian martyrs? Who committed the foulest crimes in Goa? Not Christians? Who are the top gangsters in Goa? Not Christians? Who are the most corrupt politicians in Goa? Not Christians? Who are the Goan women in Kuwait who practice concubinage by deserting their legal husbands back at home against the Christian doctrine? Not Christians? If Christians decide to act in an un-Christian way by taking law into their own hands then there is no stoppage for them. The deadliest goonda in Bombay during those days at Dhobitalao was none other than Christian Agostinho from Anjuna. He was the terror for all though he was a Christian.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
If Hinduism is hurt, only India and Nepal will be hurt. If Judaism is hurt, only Israel will be hurt. If Islam is hurt, many parts of the world will be hurt. And, if Christianity is hurt, the entire world will be hurt and its effect will be seen everywhere in the world. Since the persecution for Christians started in India aggressively 2 months back by the Hindu fanatics, the entire world stood by Indian Christians in unison. This unity made not only the Government of India under Manmohan Sing and Sonia Gandhi eat a humble pie but worst still the State Governments where worst persecution done, bowed down before the tremendous pressure from all around. In Orissa, its Government finally accepted the fact that all round persecution for Christians have been done even to the extent of raping the nun while earlier it was denied. Where are the gods and goddesses of Hindu fanatics gone? Do their gods and goddesses allow to kill innocent people, rape nuns, destroy the houses and properties of others? If it is yes, then I refuse to acknowledge such a religion and their gods and goddesses. The religion that gives liberty to its followers to destroy and kill people of other religions is not a religion, it is a satanic cult and as such it should be rejected by everyone.
It took almost half a month for Orissa Government to acknowledge the truth. Are Orissa, Karnataka, Madya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and other States where minority Christian community is harassed, tortured and displaced governed by the rule of law? Are the administrations of these States in the hands of persons who respect the rule of law? It looks to me these States are ruled by parallel Governments like what we have in tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan where village lords are the rulers and the legal de Jure Governments are just bystanders. After a careful study of the hatred against minorities in India, it looks to me that India is hijacked by the Hindu fanatics and Hindu terrorists. It is because of such fanatics and such terrorists that India was splitted in 1947, Jinnah was just an excuse. If these anti-Indian Hindu fanatics and anti-Indian Hindu terrorists do not stop their hatred for minorities in India, then there is every possibility for India to further split. As it is in the quasi federal set up of India, there is lot of room for secessionists. Kashmiris are one example while Nagas and other northerners are doing their best to secede from India and yesterday we already saw how Khalistanis did such a huge damage for the fake Indian unity. If India is today united it is not because all Indians want this unity but all Indians are coerced into submission to this artificial unity. This type of forced unity will never last for long. It is not my wish to see India further splitted but nature will take its own course. The fury of nature will come like a calamity when unnatural acts are committed. We the people on this earth are all children of same God. Persecuting some children of God by other children is an unnatural act and it is a sin against God which is punishable and this punishment from God will surely come, it may be during my lifetime or over my dead body.
The anti-Indian Hindu fanatics and terrorists think that they are more Indian and Christians and other minorities are less Indian. They make a big mistake by thinking thus. To liberate India and to protect India, Indian Christians have done yeomen services. Much before Ghandis and Nehrus it was Christian Goan Indian Dr. Francis Luis Gomes who raised the voice for the freedom of India from European soil. The contribution of Christians for the cause of India and Indians was second to none. India does not belong to Hindus only and more so Hindu fanatics only. They are cowards to get afraid of miniscule minority of Christians. This tiny minority is not capable of overpowering numerically powerful Hindu India. Conversion is just a fake excuse. If Christians and especially Catholics were that much of interested in forced conversion in India, under the Christian colonial rule the entire India could have been converted into Christian. Indian Hindu fanatics are crooks towards their own fellow Hindus whom they want to be always downtrodden and live a subhuman life under subjugation on the basis of caste system. Christianity opposes this system because Christianity is the religion of equality. Christianity makes a human being as full fledged person. Christianity does not preach cruelty. The way Hindu fanatics acted with Christians recently it looks their cruelty is worst than that of terrorists who plant bombs in India. The mode of killing innocent people instantly by the terrorists in bombing is far better than the mode of killing used by Hindu fanatics thru torturing, raping, cutting of the limbs, parading naked on the streets and such other humiliation. This does not mean that I accept the killing by the terrorist thru bombings in India. .
In his recent statement, BJP premier in waiting Advani condemned the raping and killing of the nun in Orissa and said it is a shame on humanity. Mr. Advani, it is a shame on all Hindus like you who support fanatic Hindus. Your Hinduism has brought disgrace on Hindus as a whole and acquired bad name for Hinduism. All Hindus do not subscribe to the views of fanatics Hindus who created problems for Christians but unfortunately Hindus like you silently subscribe to the views of fanatic Hindus. Now those who were guilty of killing Hindu Swami in Orissa were apprehended. Hence, it was acknowledged that Christians were not responsible for the killing of Hindu Swami. In this case it is proved beyond any doubt that Christians were not at all involved in killing Hindu Swami and his colleagues. So what is your view on the destruction of Christians, their properties, their places of worship and so many other crimes against them? How can you and Hindu fanatics retrieve the damages done already to Christians in India in the wake of killing of Hindu Swami? Can anybody in your own community compensate for the losses of lives, maiming of innocent Christians, raping of nuns, assaulting mercilessly of priests and destruction of Christian properties and places of their worship? Above all, can any one repair the enormous damage done to Indian socialism by the Hindu fanatics thru their dastardly and bestial acts? By persecuting Christians, Hindu fanatics have bastardized their brand of Hinduism.
During the whole turmoil created by Hindu fanatics against Christians, there was no retaliatory move from Christians. If it was Muslim community or Sikh community instead of Christians at the receiving end, there would be chaos all over India. But true to its teachings, Christians remained silent, unretaliatory and non violent. This does not mean Christians are always and everywhere mild and unretaliatory. If Christians decide to become violent then there is no power on earth to stop them from doing what they want to do. Some of the deadliest and cruelest acts in the history of mankind were committed by the Christians. Who fought the religious wars so forcefully in Europe known as Crusades? Not Christians? Who dropped the deadliest and foulest Atom Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Not Christians? Who were the deadliest terrorists who performed deadliest operations for the cause of Palestinians? Not Christian Arabs? Who were the fighters who fought ferociously for the cause of Konkani in Goa? Not 7 Christian martyrs? Who committed the foulest crimes in Goa? Not Christians? Who are the top gangsters in Goa? Not Christians? Who are the most corrupt politicians in Goa? Not Christians? Who are the Goan women in Kuwait who practice concubinage by deserting their legal husbands back at home against the Christian doctrine? Not Christians? If Christians decide to act in an un-Christian way by taking law into their own hands then there is no stoppage for them. The deadliest goonda in Bombay during those days at Dhobitalao was none other than Christian Agostinho from Anjuna. He was the terror for all though he was a Christian.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)