Team Herald
PANJIM: There was massive outrage in Dona Paula on Wednesday when local residents spotted a huge unregulated fire in the British Cemetery compound with concerns being raised about the damage it caused to what is also the State Protected Monument as per Goa Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Site and Remains Act 1978 and Rules 1980.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
They immediately alerted the Fire and Emergency Services, who rushed to the site and were alarmed to see how rapidly the fire had spread at the cemetery, which is incidentally located near the Raj Bhavan.
While the fire personnel eventually doused the fire, the La Marvel Residents’ Welfare Association (LMRWA) filed a written complaint to the Panjim Police Station.
In the complaint, they expressed fear over how the fire could have caused damage to the vicinity too and LMRWA alleged that no prior permissions had been sought for such an act that had led to air pollution too.
The LMRWA members who live near the British Cemetery were surprised to find out that representatives of the Methodist Church in Goa were present at the site, who claimed that they had all the permissions to set fire in their attempt to clear the area. The complainants say they were informed by the representatives that anti-social elements were thronging the place and thus they wanted to clear the site and also that there are plans to make the cemetery an active burial site again.
However, the residents demanded to see all the permissions in writing and referred to the Board of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the site that states that as per the law, whomsoever destroys, defaces, removes, injures, alters, imperils or misuses the protected monument shall be punishable as per law.
It may be recalled that last year, the Directorate of the Archives and Archaeology had filed a police complaint at the Panjim Police Station after unknown persons had replaced the locks fixed to the gates of the cemetery.
The locals said last year, the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) had denied giving a no-objection certificate to the Methodist Church for burying bodies at the cemetery.
They informed their ward councillor and the Panjim Mayor about these developments too and were in the process of filing a complaint with the CCP as well as the ASI and the State Archives Department.
The locals want all the authorities concerned to investigate the matter and ascertain the facts and take action accordingly.
The locals also reiterated that there can be no construction within 100 metres of the British cemetery given its heritage status.
Philip Vaz, the representative of the Methodist Church in Goa said, “The British Protestant Cemetery at Dona Paula has been the final resting place for Protestants in Goa for centuries along with their associated burial rites and religious rituals. As the government documents from the Portuguese era attest, the ownership is private for the benefit of Protestants residing in Goa.”
In recent times, certain anti-social elements for political and extraneous purposes are seeking to foment disharmony and create religious divide between groups where none exist.
The said persons have sought to hurt religious sentiments and spread mistruths.
Certain vested interests who have built structures in violation of the mandatory buffer zone now seek to cover their misdeeds by engaging in mischief and criminal intimidation. The documents of the cemetery and the relevant information has been provided to the government authorities and the police at various points of time, and the Executive Board of the Methodist Church, the custodians of site for the benefit of all Protestants living in Goa are grateful for their cooperation and commitment to rule of law despite pressure of religious extremists.
“A complaint has been filed at the Panjim Police Station against certain persons for criminal intimidation and trespassing, for threatening hapless labourers who were engaged in cleaning the cemetery. Certain persons trespassed into the site and sought to create mischief and interfere and perpetrate illegalities, and now seek to malign the name of Protestant community.”
“Goa has always been a shining beacon of freedom of religion. We must ensure that the same is not tarnished by individuals acting for political and vested interests,” Philip added.
