Courtesy: The Goan –
Canacona: Renewed efforts by the Catholic community to celebrate the feast at the Church of Our Lady of Springs (Nossa Senhora das Brotas) at Anjediva Island off Karwar on February 2 were dashed yet again, when the Navy declined permission to civilians on security grounds.
After being denied the right to celebrate the feast since 2005 at Anjediva Island, which has been in the possession of the Navy’s Seabird project, there had been renewed interest in efforts to celebrate the church feast after a senior citizen from Canacona, Natividade De Sa, had petitioned the prime minister’s office.
This then set the ball rolling between Central and State governments to explore the possibility of granting permission to celebrate the church feast on February 2 and feast of the Chapel of St Francis of Assisi on October 4 on Anjediva Island. The developments progressed to such an extent that there were moves to allow 15 devotees who could be permitted to participate in the church feast on February 2.
While the PMO had sought details of ownership and presence of religious shrines at Anjediva Island, which originally belonged to Goa before being gifted to the Navy, a memorandum dated January 7 from the Additional Collee tor (South) had sought a compliance report from the Dy Collector (Revenue), Margao, pertaining to permission to celebrate the feasts on Anjediva Island.
Eagerly awaiting positive response, De Sa received a copy of the additional collectar’s report only on January 25, approached the Dy Collector (Revenue) on Thursday to know the fate of his request, but was directed to the additional collector, stating that a report had already been sent to him. Without wasting any more time, De Sa went to meet the additional collector, only to be informed by the staff that he had gone to Panaii with the file.
“A staff at the additional collector’s office told me to request our Canacona MLA Isidore Fernandes to get in touch with authorities in Panaji ifwe want the permission before the feast, ” said De Sa.
“Our MLA has always been helpful and we will approach him once again, but I feel bad that authorities have gone very slow in processing the file, knowing well that the feast is on Sunday.”
Last Ditch Effort
“Naval authorities at the Seabird project in Karwar need to he informed by the government well in time and if permission is not given to us by Friday, we will once again miss the date of the feast of Our Lady of Springs on Anjediva Island, which would be unfortunate despite all our efforts,” De Sa lamented.
In a last ditch effort, several locals including De Sa met Fernandes and sought his intervention in the matter. Fernandes telephoned the chief secretary and was told the report as sought by PMO had been submitted and it was for the Centre to give a decision to permit civilians on Anjediva Island to celebrate the feast.
Fernandes then contacted Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik and implored him to use his good office to allow a few people to celebrate the feast.
After initially seeking a list of 15 devotees with the intention of permitting them to Aniediva Island on February 2, Naik informed Fernandes that the defence ministry had turned down their request and had refused to permit any civilians on Anjediva Island on security grounds.
A Historical Perspective
■ Anjediva island was a revenue village of Canacona Taluka and post liberation, was even considered a part of Loliem-Polem panchayat.
■ It has three Survey numbers, 1/0, 2/0 & 3/0, with each survey numbers earmarked in hectares of land, comprisng Survey 1/0 (0000.09.50 Hac), Survey 2/0 (0023.20.25 Hac) and Survey 3/0 (0010.54.00 Hac), which is about 7,80,000 sq. mtrs of land in the Arabian sea
■ The island is about 5 nautical miles from Binaga coast (Karwar district) and about two hours by boat ride from Polem (Goa’s border)
■ For centuries, the Catholic community would traditionally celebrate the feasts of the Church of Our Lady of Springs on February 2 and the Chapel of St Francis of Assisi on October 4.
■ In 1986, the defence ministry began acquiring land along Karwar’s coast for the INS Kadamba, considering the strategic importance of nation’s defence preparedness.
■ Given the strategic location of islands in the area, Indian Navy also eyed Anjediva Island, which had limited inhabitants and two historically important religious structures
■ The defence ministry approached Goa Government for this acquisition Collector (South) passed an order dated December 8, 1987 for the transfer of land (Anjediva Island) to the Ministry of Defence with suitable compensation
■ The Collector also awarded payment of compensation for land, forest produce and structures Following the sentiments of the Catholic community, the Collector also included a specific condition: “The navy may allow on the island the celebrations of customary feast of St Francis de Assisi and Church of Nossa Senhora das Brotas, subject to security considerations.”
■ According to the order, except for 800 sq. mtrs which included a house and house-well (in Survey 2/0), the total area of 33,92.75 Ha in Survey 1/0, 2/0 & 3/0 was passed for transfer to Defence Ministry
■ After many inspections, authorities rejected private ownership rights on government land, but accepted the fact a bar (structure), house well, and some agricultural produce was on 800 sq. mtrs of land on Anjediva Island in Survey 2/0
■ Authorities declared that the private claimant (Laximan Raikar) was an encroacher of paddy fields and agriculture plantations on other land in the island
■ The State government decided to forego the compensation of Rs 48,12,711, after the compensation was waived off by the Goa cabinet on a specific request of the defence minister
■ As a result, the Anjediva Revenue Village of Canacona (surveys 1/0, 2/0 & 3/0) was gifted ‘free of cost’ to the defence ministry on August 20, 1991, by then chief minister Ravi Naik, when Sharad Pawar was then defence minister
■ But Naik did not insist on maintaining the rights of the Catholic community to celebrate both feasts on the island
■ Having taken control of Anjediva Island, the Navy allowed the faithful to celebrate the church feast here, permitting devotees to travel in trawlers to the island under strict surveillance till February 2, 2003
■ The breakwater was constructed by 2004 and the Catholic community was given one final opportunity to celebrate the feast at Anjediva on February 2, 2004
■ Since then, the navy has rejected requests by the Catholic community to celebrate both feasts, citing security concerns
■ The Catholic community hoped they would be allowed to celebrate the two feasts on Anjediva Island, when late Manohar Parrikar became defence minister. However, their hopes were dashed when Parrikar politely declined to pursue their demands with the defence ministry, citing “security reasons”
■ Even the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, after initially making petitions and demanding the right to celebrate both feasts, did not eventually pursue the matter
■ A few concerned citizens, however, have continued to make several petitions to civil and military authorities to enable the Catholic community to celebrate both feasts on the island While the Chapel of St Francis De Assisi turned to ruins, the Our Lady of Springs Church was renovated at a cost of Rs 45 lakh by the Archaeological Survey of India, considering its historical importance
■ A senior citizen of Canacona, Natividade De Sa, had recently petitioned the Prime Minister’s Offce in New Delhi seeking permission to celebrate the two feasts. After some progress, the efforts were dashed when the Navy declined permission to civilians on security grounds, days before the church feast on February 2
Happy feast of Nossa Senhora das Brotas to all our pilgrims of the good old days. Travelling by land and then by those small boats sailing over the blue waters of the Arabian Sea, used to be thrilling times for those of us who were privileged to be there on those glorious feast days.