TEAM HERALD
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CANACONA: It has been yet another setback for the Catholic community keen to celebrate the feast at a five-century-old church in Anjediva Island off Karwar on February 2, with the Navy bluntly denying any permission to civilians to enter the island due to “heightened security”.
A Margao-based social activist who has been spearheading the campaign to get the Navy to permit the Catholic community to celebrate two feasts – Feast of Our Lady of Springs (February 2) and Feast of St Francis de Assisi (October 4) – has accused the Navy of adopting “double standards” in issuing permissions to civilians.
“Since October 4, 2004, the Karnataka Naval Area at Karwar, (Sea Bird) has been citing reasons of ‘prevailing security considerations and large scale Inter Service Defence exercises in progress at the base’ to refuse the faithful the celebrations of the customary feasts on the Anjediva Island off Karwar,” said Godfrey Gonsalves.
Despite the constant rejections to his request, Gonsalves had submitted a fresh petition to the Navy yet this year as well.
“K N Mohanta, Lt Commander-At-Arms, Dy Naval Provost Marshal (Kt), from the Headquarters, Karnataka Naval Area, Karwar, (Sea Bird) faxed a message quoting as usual ‘due to prevailing security scenario in the coastal region and a large scale inter services defence exercises in progress, the Naval Base is at a heightened security state. No visitors are being during the period’,” said Gonsalves.
“Ironically during celebrations of Navy Day every year on December 4, naval authorities at the base at Arga, Karwar Uttar Kanara Karnataka throw open the base and allow civilian visitors with due security considerations to not only visit the naval ships but to partake in the celebrations during the Navy Week.”
“Hence, one cannot understand the double standards adopted by naval authorities. The reasons repeated often indeed smacks of a clear bias to ensure that festivities are not permitted, hurting the sentiments of the community. People of Karwar and Goa used to celebrate this feast with religious fervour,” he added.
Gonsalves has requested the Goa government and its MPs, as well as the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman “to pursue the issue to its logical conclusion and insist that the customary Feasts are celebrated on the Island.”
