Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Aug 4: The fight against anonymous letters which reportedly have blasphemous references to priests and ladies has gained momentum. On Sunday August 3, a huge protest rally was held from Mandantyar church to the area in front of Nutan Cloth Centre in the town there, before effigies of the alleged perpetrators of the sacrilegious act were burnt.
The protesters raised slogans again those who have been projected the Holy Bible that is reverred by the Christians, and hurting religious sentiments of Christians by deriding religious procedures conducted by Madantyar church. Member of the church parish council, Joel Mendonca, addressing the protesters, said that the Christians are forced to take to streets to protest against the concerned, after having been fed up by the incessant onslaught on the religion and religious personalities that is going on since the last 15 years. "Letters with abusive contents about the priests and women are getting published, and efforts to create a divide among the Catholics is on," he said.
"The 'Samanvaya Samiti' based in Madantyar has been releasing trimonthly publications containing articles which hold our religion in poor light. This publication should be stopped, and publication of 'Samanvaya', should be prohibited. Such committees which aim at disturbing peace should be boycotted. Our fight is in support of the religion, nor on behalf of any particular faction or party. The accused, Joy Prabhu and Gerald Correa, have gone underground. They should be arrested as soon as possible, and investigation should be conducted about their plans and designs," he demanded.
Vice-president of the church parish council, Gregory Cera, noted that the accused have made derogatory comments about Christianity, and degraded an educational institution with 5,000 students. "There is no doubt that Christians love peace, but our patience too has a limit. The origin of anonymous letters should be thoroughly probed and accused should be brought to book," he asserted.
Church parish council member, Vivek Vincent Pais, in his address, noted that people from all the religions have always had exalted opinion about the Holy Eucharist. Noting that Christianity does not preach politics, he said he has been disturbed by disrespectful comments about priests and other individuals who have worked for the religion. Adding that the protesters are not driven by any individual enmity, he clarified that effigies of the accused are being burnt because of the fact that the concerned have gone underground.
On the occasion, the quarterly publication of the committee was shredded into pieces. Effigies of Gerald Correa and Joy Prabhu were burnt. A petition was handed over to the police personnel, demanding arrest of the accused. A procession was led from the church premises to Madantyar town.