ABEL BARRETO
abel@herald-goa.com
ANJEDIVE ISLAND: Catholic worshippers wanting to celebrate the annual Feast of St Francis of Assisi tomorrow (October 4) at Anjedive Island near Karwar will be disappointed as the Naval Authorities are yet to consider and give them the permission to visit the Island and offer prayers during the Feast celebrations.
It may be recalled that the last time the faithful could get a chance to offer prayers at St. Francis of Assisi Chapel was on February 2, 2004 to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Springs Church. The Island has now been out of bounds for Christians wanting to offer prayers for two decades on grounds of national security.
Anjedive Island is known for the annual feast of Our Lady of Brotas (February 2) and the feast of the Hermitage St Francis of Assisi (October 4) every year. In fact, when the island was given by the State Government of Karnataka to the Union Ministry of Defence in 1989 vide order No.43/1/87/REV/7950 of July 26, 1989 it was with the explicit terms and condition that the Indian Navy should allow on the island the celebration of customary feast of St Francis de Assis & Nossa Senhora de Brotas ‘subject to security considerations’. However, the same year the Anjedive Island was declared as a prohibited place by Government of Goa vide Notification No.2/86/82-HD(G), of December 27, 1989 under Official Secrets Act, 1923. It was when construction of North Break Water linking Binaga Point with Anjedive Island and other sensitive facilities was completed that the permission to hold feasts was withdrawn due to security considerations.
This was further reiterated by former Defence Minister AK Antony in reply to former Rajya Sabha MP Late Shantaram Naik vide letter DO No.15(17)/ 2007/D(N-III)/1282-F/RM, dated March 7, 2007 that since the Project Sea Bird at Karwar was strategically located project of sensitive nature hence access of people cannot be allowed freely irrespective of any caste or religion, as apart from creating local law and order problem, it involves serious security implications.
Interestingly in February 2004, the then parish priest of St Anees Church, Binaga Fr Kurien Pheredy and Godfrey Gonsalves an activist from Margao impressed upon Defence Ministry officials to allow Christians to celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Springs but Pramod Muthalik, then a prominent Bajrang Dal leader and his supporters opposed the entry of Christians to the island and celebration of feast of Our Lady of Springs Church. This eventually led to chaos but the celebration happened for one last time. Thereafter, the Defence establishment was advised by District Administration that it has not been found possible to grant permission to celebrate feasts at Anjedive Island in Goa. A smug Muthalik tells “Together with the two Christian shrines there is a Hindu shrine on the Anjedive Island and entry to the general public should not be allowed as national security is paramount”.
However, the faithful have not given up hope and feel that despite prohibition restricted entry is possible. Diogo Da Silva president of Canacona Catholic community, Ervilo Barretto and Natividade D’Sa say in unison “We are asking the defence ministry to allow us entry only twice in a year, if there is a real security issue than they can allow restricted number of people by issuing passes the way it is done at other defence installations”.
Margao based Godfrey Gonsalves who has been at the vanguard of entry to Anjedive Island reminisces Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s intervention to repair the crumbling shrine of Our Lady of Springs, last year by ASI. “It is now up to Goa government to pressurise defence ministry to open up the island for holding prayers twice a year”
The Naval Base CSO Commodore Dinesh Singh expressed his inability to allow prayers as the project Sea Bird is a strategic naval base and cannot be compromised as far as safety and security are concerned. Herald’s questions to Naval Headquarters for a possible solution are yet to be answered.
