Team Herald
PONDA: The massive gathering at the public meeting at Madkai on Thursday resembled a festival or a zatra with the villagers and devotees chanting slogans “Amchi Murthi Amkam Zai, Amchem Devul Amkam Zai” (we want our idol as well as our temple).
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At the public meeting convened under the banner of Devi Navdurga Pratishthan, the locals pledged to remain united and decided to approach the Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict on the Navdurga Temple issue. The locals further said that they were ready to die and if needed would even meet the Prime Minister and President to seek equal rights.
The locals resolved to file a petition in the Supreme Court, demanded scrapping of “discriminatory” Portuguese-era Mahajan Act, called for retaining the old idol permanently, and declare the Navdurga Temple as a public temple and equal rights for villagers and Sevekaris in managing the temple.
They took out a rally at the temple and offered gharane seeking blessings of Goddess Navdurga.
President of Devi Navdurga Pratishthan Shailendra Panjikar said, “We will fight and are ready to die, if the need arises we will even meet the Prime Minister and the President to seek equal rights for the villagers and devotees of Goddess Navdurga.”
The meeting was organized on the occasion of Liberation Day to protest against “discriminatory” Portuguese-era Mahajan Act governing temples in Goa, which the locals claimed violated the Constitutional equal rights to all.
“Are we liberated from Portuguese laws when Goa was liberated 63 ago? If liberated, then why does the Portuguese-era Act still prevail?” The locals questioned the government. The villagers claimed that the Act was enacted in favour of the Mahajans.
The locals said, “The temple idol is over 800 years old, when the 100-year-old Mahajan Act was passed, the villagers were illiterate and deprived of their rights to manage the temple despite performing every ritual and participating in palkhis and rathotsav celebration of the Goddess.
The Mahajans are managing several temples under Mahajans Act which they alleged was discriminatory. With all festivals celebrated with public donations, the locals demanded that the temple be declared a public temple.
Madkai Nagrik Samiti president Premanand Gaude said, “The Mahajan Act should be scrapped and should be changed in favour of all the villagers irrespective of caste. People should be made the temple members. Bahujans were illiterate when the act was enacted. People belonging to the Scheduled Caste should get justice. I extend my full support to Devi Navadurga Pratishthan.”
Vishaka Gadambi questioned: “Why do we want Portuguese-era Mahajan Act when Goa was liberated 63 years ago. This is divide and rule. When devotees are all over Goa, how can the Goddess belong to Mahajans. All festivals are celebrated by villagers. If Mahajans don’t come, the festival never stops. How do they get the right to manage temples?”
It may be recalled that in 2016, the Mahajans or the Navdurga temple managing committee decided to replace the old idol in the temple which was opposed by the villagers.
The villagers under the banner of Devi Navdurga Pratishthan challenged the Mahajans decision in the District and Session Court at Ponda. The court granted a stay on idol replacement and since the matter was sub judice.
The Mahajans challenged the court’s decision in the High Court, which recently quashed the court order and upheld the Mahajans’ plea for upholding their rights under the Mahajan Act governing the temples in Goa. The High Court granted six weeks time to the locals to approach the Supreme Court.
