TEAM HERALD
CURCHOREM: Ignoring the pleas of Quepem Deputy Collector Prashant Shirodkar on Wednesday, the group of agitating parishioners of Guardian Angel Church, Curchorem, have decided to go ahead with their indefinite chain hunger strike from Friday to demand the reinstatement of Fr James Torres e Silva and the appointment of a new Fabrica committee.
The controversy has also exposed the growing rift in the parish, with a rival group of parishioners opposing the proposed chain hunger strike.
The group of parishioners opposing the agitation had submitted a memorandum to the deputy collector, stating that no priest should be restrained from assuming charge or performing any other duty in their church by anyone and that, no area of the church premises is misused for agitation or meetings against the church without permission of church authority.
Acting on the petition, Shirodkar convened a meeting between both groups of parishioners and the Curchorem police inspector in the deputy collector’s office on Wednesday.
Speaking to Herald, Shirodkar said he had tried his best to persuade the group of parishioners not to go on a hunger strike and to wait till Fr James returns from the US, so that the problem could be resolved with the Diocesan authorities.
“But the group claimed that they had the constitutional right to a strike to press for their demands,” said Shirodkar.
“I have not given them permission to hold the strike and they are going ahead with it at their own risk. If anything goes wrong, they will be held responsible,” stated Shirodkar.
“I have specifically told them that they should not create any law and order problem and that, they should be 100 metres away from the church. I have asked them to maintain peace and dignity of the church,” he added.
“The agitating group told me that ten members will be on a hunger strike per day till their demands are met. The other group of parishioners assured me that they will not disturb the agitating group of parishioners,” said Shirodkar.
Speaking to Herald, former Confraria president William Fernandes said they are going ahead with the chain hunger strike from Friday morning till both the demands are met ~ to reinstate Fr James and to appoint a new Fabrica committee.
It may be recalled that on October 1 a group of parishioners marched to the Bishop Palace to step up pressure for the reinstatement of Fr James Torres e Silva as their parish priest and warned that no other parish priest appointed by the Diocesan authorities would be allowed to assume charge of the parish.
The parishioners had also threatened to launch a chain hunger strike outside the Curchorem church till the demands are “settled amicably in the interest of peace in the parish.”
