Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: IND31233 Country: Date: 2 February 2007

Keywords: India – – Evangelical Christians – Shiv Sena – RSS – Jamat-e-Islami

This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Questions

1. What is the activity of the Bajrang Dal, Jamaat -E-Islam, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak and Shiv Sena against evangelical Christians in Goa? 2. What difficulties do evangelical Christians face in Goa? 3. Would the police in Goa condone and/or be involved in discrimination / persecution against evangelical Christians in Goa by these groups?

RESPONSE

1. What is the activity of the above mentioned four groups against evangelical Christians in Goa? 2. What difficulties do evangelical Christians face in Goa? 3. Would the police in Goa condone and/or be involved in discrimination / persecution against evangelical Christians in Goa by these groups?

The state of Goa has a significant Christian population. According to the 2001 India census, Goa has a Christian population of 359,568 on a total population of 1,347,668 (there are 886,551 and 92,210 Muslims). , and the in particular, has played a significant role in Goa’s history and since Goa’s 1962 integration into the Indian Union this has continued to be the case. Studies of the Goan Christian identity, such as Dr Charles Borges’ 2000 study, tend to emphasize the inclusion and participation of the Christian population in Goa’s social and political life (‘Population by religious communities’ (undated), Census of India website http://demotemp257.nic.in/httpdoc/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Populat ion_by_religious_communities.htm – Accessed 31 January 2007 – Attachment 24; Borges, C. 2000, ‘The Changing Faces of : From Being Portuguese to Being Indian?’, Lusotopie http://www.lusotopie.sciencespobordeaux.fr/borges.pdf – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 25). Information addressing the above queries is set out below under the following subtitles: Attacks on Evangelical Christians; Attacks on other Christians in Goa – Catholics; in Goa – Rashtriya Swayam Sevak and Shiv Sena; Jamaat-e-Islami in Goa; Christians and police protection in Goa.

Attacks on Evangelical Christians in Goa The Journal of Church & State’s ‘Notes on church-state affairs’ provides regular monthly reports of incidents of this kind, and regularly documents attacks upon Evangelical Christians in other Indian states. No reports of attacks upon Evangelical Christians have, however, ever been noted by the Journal of Church & State’s ‘Notes on church-state affairs’ for the state of Goa. Nonetheless, reports of two such incidents, one in 2005 and the other in 2002, were located within other sources, and details on these reports follow below.

A report published on the All India Christian Council (AICC) website claims that “the church of the New Life Fellowship in Ponda” was harassed by “Hindu fundamentalists” who attempted to have “the pastor Rev Cajetan Tellis” prosecuted by the police in December 2005. The police reportedly “questioned the pastor but found nothing wrong”. The Hindu fundamentalists are reported to have subsequently attacked and vandalized the church. The report is vague in its reporting of the nature of the police response. It is stated that the police “refused to take action against those who took law into their hands”; but also that: “The police arrested six persons for the attack on 18 December 2005 and detained them in the police station”. In any event, the AICC was clearly of the view that the police had not done enough to protect the congregation. The report follows:

Hindu fundamentalists ransacked a church at Ponda in Goa when the worship was going on and dragged its pastor to the local police station alleging that he was disturbing peace in the area. And the police refused to act, leaving the stage to the hooligans to do whatever they wanted.

As usual the church of the New Life Fellowship in Ponda, 40 km from , the capital of Goa, started the worship on 18 December 2005 with a gathering of about 80 believers. Just after the worship began, about 20 Hindus carrying chains, iron rods and sticks and barged in and started to smash the audio system and other equipment. When some believers tried to protest, they manhandled them and chased all of them out of the church.

The attackers threatened the pastor Rev Cajetan Tellis with dire consequences if he tried to preach in the church again. All this happened after alerting the local police in advance against the fundamentalists who had tried to intimidate him on 11 December 2005. In fact on that day the attackers had brought six policemen to the church who took him to the police station. The in-charge of the police station questioned the pastor but found nothing wrong. Yet he refused to take action against those who took law into their hands. The police arrested six persons for the attack on 18 December 2005 and detained them in the police station.

In a memorandum submitted to Governor SC Jamir, the All India Christian Council (aicc) condemned the attack and sought stringent action against culprits as well as adequate security for all churches in Goa.

“The devious insensitivity of the district administration and the police is a matter of great shame as we profess to be the world’s largest secular democracy. These constant efforts by communal fanatics to strike at the heart of India’s plurality to eliminate any semblance of diversity with a blatant disregard for the religious rights enshrined in the Constitution of India must be put to a stop. Such a shameful act is unacceptable in a civilized society such as ours in an era of globalisation and is in violation against the provision of the Article 25 of our Constitution and accepted ‘Universal Human Rights Convention’. The Christian Council demands that the perpetrators of this crime be arrested and booked under the appropriate sections of the IPC viz. section 153 (A) and 295 (A),” the memorandum said.

The memorandum was signed by aicc president Dr Joseph D’Souza, aicc State General Secretary Dr Abraham Mathai, Goa United Christian Leaders Association Chairman Rev Gerson Coutinho, New Life Fellowship Coordinator Rev Felix Cardozo and Rev Mathew Kurien of the Assemblies of God Church,Goa (‘Church attacked, Pastor intimidated in Goa’ (undated), All India Christian Council website http://www.aiccindia.org/news/church_attacked_pastor_intimidated_in_goa.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 6).

“The aicc documented over 24 attacks against Christians from Nov. 2005 to March 2006. Of the confirmed attacks listed” only one occurred in Goa. The worst states were (with six) Andhra Pradesh (with five) and Orissa (with four) (‘A report on activities of the aicc from Nov. 2005 – March 2006’ 2006, Secular India website, source: All India Christian Council, 7 April http://www.secularindia.com/comments/2006/04/13Christian.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 7).

According a November 2002 Mission Network News bulletin, “an Indian pastor along with team members from Operation Mobilization, were savagely beaten in the State of Goa”. According to this source: “The team had just shown the DaySpring International film on the life of Christ when some 30 people attacked them”. It was further reported that “police encouraged them to file a formal complaint”

We begin today in India where an Indian pastor along with team members from Operation Mobilization, were savagely beaten in the State of Goa. The team had just shown the DaySpring International film on the life of Christ when some 30 people attacked them. The film’s director, John Gilman says the movie reflects the life of Christ filmed in the Indian context and it has had a huge impact on those who view it. “Dramatically demonstrating the story of and his love really is a seed that is planted in the hearts of the people and they never forget seeing Jesus crucified and what that means.” Gilman says they won’t stop showing the film. “I think we have a challenge to bring the Gospel to these people as a seed. Someone said don’t bring it to us as a potted plant, bring it to us as a seed and often Western Christians are tempted to have already grown something and bring it with their own flavor.” Meanwhile, the victims of the assault are recovering and police encouraged them to file a formal complaint (‘Story number 1 for 26 Nov 2002’ 2002, Mission Network News website, 26 November http://www.mnnonline.org/article/4056 – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 8).

A 1997 article, published by the Christian Worldwide Challenge Magazine, also reports that Evangelical missionaries have encountered hostility when traveling to screen a film on the life of Christ. According to this report Evangelical Christians have faced opposition in Goa even from the state’s Catholic population. Nonetheless, according to one missionary: “outright attacks on film teams are rare in Goa”; “‘We can count on two hands the number of times the JESUS film teams were attacked,” he says, “maybe only seven or eight times in all’”. The relevant extracts follow.

When John Esteves returned to his home in Goa, India, to show the JESUS film, a cousin confronted him publicly. “If you screen that film here or anywhere in Goa,” he shouted, “I’ll break your legs! I don’t want you to bring shame to our family.” …Goa, an Arabian Sea port 200 miles south of Bombay, is not like the rest of India. Red-tile roofs, Portuguese names, and a strong Catholic influence bespeak four centuries as a colony of . When the first evangelicals arrived 20-some years ago, the populace considered them a cult and opposed them severely.

...“It was the work of the Holy Spirit,” John is quick to point out. “I was just the instrument.” In any case, the cooperation brought results. Two years ago, through Reach Goa 95, evangelical churches joined forces to take the “mail” of God’s Word to the 1.2 million people in the state. Operation Mobilization and Youth With a Mission brought in teams of young people from across India, while Campus Crusade provided JESUS film teams and trained everyone to evangelize using the Four Spiritual Laws booklet. The ship Doulos wrapped things up by sending one final wave of evangelistic teams to trudge the narrow, asphalt lanes.

…A postman’s life is not always easy. Sometimes he gets rained on. And sometimes animals dispute the right to pass.

Likewise when believers delivered the Good News in Goa. When Robert Lobo, who narrated the Konkani-language version of the JESUS film, tried to show JESUS in his home village, rabble-rousers rained rocks on him, tearing down the screen and breaking the projector bulb. “It was good for us to experience that,” says Pastor Robert. “It raised our faith,” adds June, his wife.

Such outright attacks on film teams are rare in Goa, according to John. “We can count on two hands the number of times the JESUS film teams were attacked,” he says, “maybe only seven or eight times in all.”

Sometimes, however, unhappy friends or neighbors dispute a person’s decision to follow Christ. At the end of a passageway in the village of Zuari, a small band of believers meets in a two-room house belonging to Pavadappa, a former Hindu. When he turned to Christ two years ago (through Reach Goa 95) he stopped drinking and stopped beating his wife. Many people were healed at that time, as well, and 40 new believers began meeting in his one-room house. But when Pavadappa and his wife pitched the household idols, problems arose.

…Finally a mob of 38 men surrounded Pavadappa’s house. When he answered their rapping on the door, they dragged him out and beat him. Pavadappa held firm, but others did not. The 40-member house church wilted to 10 or 15.

…And slowly but steadily, evangelical churches are growing. Two years ago there were just 40 churches in Goa; today there are 65. “The kind of Christianity that is growing in Goa is strong, solid, and not easily destroyed,” says John. “They believe the Word of God, they obey the Word of God, and they practice the Word of God. I believe that one day we will see a third of the people in Goa taking a stand for Jesus.”

…And because of this teamwork, Goan churches today comprise a small army of “postmen” and women committed to carrying the message of Christ to their friends, their neighbors, and even to other parts of India (Sundstrom, B. 1997, ‘The Postman of Goa’, Worldwide Challenge Magazine website, November/December http://www.wwcmagazine.org/1997/goa.html – Accessed 2 February 2007 – Attachment 26).

Attacks on other Christians in Goa – Catholics Very few reports of attacks on other members of Goa’s Christian population, which is mainly Catholic, could be located. The Journal of Church & State’s ‘Notes on church-state affairs’ records only one such attack: a 2001 bomb attack on a Catholic church (see below for more details). Nonetheless, some relevant incidents have been reported by other sources: In March 2006 it was reported that “[t]he murder of priest Eusebio Ferrao in Goa state early Saturday morning (March 18) has sent shockwaves through the Catholic communities of India”. Initial reports made much of speculation that Father Ferrao’s death may have been a sectarian killing. The Christian persecution monitor Compass Direct reported at this time that: “local Christians believe Fr. Ferrao was targeted because of his recently published comments on religious riots [between Hindus and Muslims] in the south of Goa”. However, following the arrest of the two alleged murderers of Father Ferrao it was reported that the murder had been provoked by a personal disagreement:

Police said that according to confessions by the suspects, the priest had promised one of them a job in September 2005.

Continuing with the account, police said that on the fateful night, the priest invited the two men for dinner. Before retiring to bed, when the priest came around to inquire if they were comfortable, one of them complained that the priest had not kept his promise.

The priest reportedly said it was not time to talk about jobs, but to sleep. Irked, one of the guests attacked Father Ferrao in a drunken stupor while the other gagged the priest with a pillow when he shouted for help (‘Goa priest murdered after speaking against inter-faith violence’ 2007, Catholic News website, 21 March http://www.cathnews.com/news/603/120.php – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 3; for the early Christian report on the death, see: ‘Catholic Priest Murdered in Goa State, India’ 2006, International Christian Response website, source: Compass Direct, 22 March http://www.christianresponse.org/articles/318/catholic-priest-murdered-in-goa-state-india – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 2).

Even so, Compass Direct’s initial coverage on the death of Father Ferrao provided information which, in itself, suggests that there has been a perceived rise in communal tensions in Goa from the perspective of the Christian community.

Hindu extremists have been increasingly active in Goa over the past year.

Since February 2005, extremists have carried out a host of burglaries and acts of vandalism against churches. In spite of repeated appeals to the police and state authorities, however, no arrests have been made.

Two incidents last week led some local Christians to believe they were given advance warning of the murder. On Thursday (March 16) a church cross was destroyed, and in a nearby park, a priest’s robe was hung from a tree and draped with a mosquito net – perhaps signaling that something more serious was about to take place.

Two weeks earlier, on January 30, a cross was vandalized in north Goa, with the words Shri Pardesi (Mr. Foreigner) boldly written on its broken pieces – implying that the vandals saw Christianity as an unwanted, foreign religion.

“Strategies to stir up communal violence in Goa began during the rule of the Bharatiya (BJP),” , president of the and National Integration Council member, told Compass. “There is a larger conspiracy at work here.”

…The Rev. Babu Joseph, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, said the multiple desecrations of Christian religious symbols in Goa in recent weeks signaled a new attempt by Hindu extremists to create tension between religious groups. Father Cedric Prakash, director of the Center for Human Rights, Justice and Peace in Ahmedabad, said the RSS was targeting Kerala, Goa and Northeast India because of their relatively high Christian populations.

Elections are due next year in Goa, and Hindu extremists may be stirring up communal tensions in an effort to win votes, he said (‘Catholic Priest Murdered in Goa State, India’ 2006, International Christian Response website, source: Compass Direct, 22 March http://www.christianresponse.org/articles/318/catholic-priest-murdered-in-goa-state-india – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 2; see also: ‘Goa priest murdered after speaking against inter-faith violence’ 2007, Catholic News website, 21 March http://www.cathnews.com/news/603/120.php – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 3).

On 8 May 2000 a number of bomb attacks were staged against churches in three separate states. “In Goa, a low intensity bomb exploded at the St Andrew Church at Vasco Da Gama”. The Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network (APHRN) subsequently speculated that the bombing in Goa might represent a change in the nature of such attacks, which had previously been limited to areas where Christians were in “a small minority” (‘3 hurt in attacks on churches’ 2000, The Tribune website, 8 May http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000609/nation.htm#1 – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 9; for the APHRN report, see: Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network 2000, ‘Violence against Christians continues – Method in the Sangh Madness’, South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre website, 28 August http://www.hri.ca/partners/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF25.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 10).

As is noted above, this is the only incident of sectarian violence against Christians to have been noted by the Journal of Church & State’s ‘Notes on church-state affairs’. The following information was provided by this monitor:

On 20 October, police in southern India filed charges against thirty-one people, including four Pakistani nationals, for bomb attacks at three small churches in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, and Anjuman earlier in the year. The police claim that has manipulated the extreme Muslim sect Deendar Anjuman to carry out the bombings. The bombings inturn were to discredit Hindu militant groups who might be suspected of being responsible. Christian leaders were not satisfied with this argument and called on authorities to show the “same zeal” in investigating attacks by the Hindu militant groups on Christians (Hendon, D.W. & Greco, D.E. 2001, ‘Notes on church-state affairs’, Journal of Church & State, winter, vol.43, no.1, p.174 – Attachment 17)

Hindu nationalism in Goa – Rashtriya Swayam Sevak and Shiv Sena Both the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Shiv Sena are known to be active in Goa. The RSS is a national organization with ties to the BJP and as such appears to have a more pervasive presence in Goa than does the Shiv Sena. The BJP is a major force in Goa state politics and, prior to February 2005, led the state government. The Shiv Sena, by contrast, holds no seats in the Goa Assembly though in 2004 it announced its intention to expand in Goa as an independent force rather than simply as a supporter of the BJP and its RSS movement (for background information on the RSS and it relationship with the BJP and other organisations, see: RRT Country Research 2001, Research Response IND22491, 27 April – Attachment 20; for information on the Shiv Sena in Goa state politics, see: Banerjee, S. 2004, ‘Face off between Sena leader and Goa CM’, Times of India website, 15 April http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/617966.cms – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 18; for background information on the Shiv Sena, see: Palshikar, S. 2004, ‘Shiv Sena: A Tiger with Many Faces?’, Economic and Political Weekly, 3-10 April http://www.epw.org.in/articles/2004/04/7040.pdf – Accessed 20 June 2006 – Attachment 19).

As is evident from the information which appears above, it would appear that very few incidents have occurred in Goa in which Christians have been attacked by groups labeled as militant Hindus. Some information on militant in Goa follows below along with information on how the BJP is said to locate itself in Goa’s state politics

As is noted above, Compass Direct’s initial coverage of the March 2006 murder of Father Ferrao reported that “Hindu extremists have been increasingly active in Goa over the past year”. The article also reported the views of “Father Cedric Prakash, director of the Center for Human Rights, Justice and Peace in Ahmedabad, [who] said the RSS was targeting Kerala, Goa and Northeast India because of their relatively high Christian populations”. “Elections are due next year in Goa, and Hindu extremists may be stirring up communal tensions in an effort to win votes, he said” (‘Catholic Priest Murdered in Goa State, India’ 2006, International Christian Response website, source: Compass Direct, 22 March http://www.christianresponse.org/articles/318/catholic-priest-murdered-in-goa-state-india – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 2).

As is noted elsewhere in this response, the BJP reportedly incited Hindu mobs to riot against the minority Muslim population of Sanvordem and Curchorem in early March 2006. The incident began as a dispute over claims that a Muslim prayer house had been constructed illegally. The Hindu mobs reportedly “pelted stones” at some local Muslims who took shelter in a Mosque which was protected by the police. The mobs then reportedly burned and destroyed properties belonging to the Muslim community. The Gomantak Times – Weekender has reported that Shiv Sena activists were also involved in the disturbances. “A controversial senior office bearer of BJP was heard saying ‘It is high time that Hindus and Christians join hands to kill the Muslims’. The US Department of State’s most recent report on religious freedom has noted the incident as “the first significant instance of Hindu-Muslim violence since its inception in 1960” (Communal Violence in Goa: Neros in Khaki’ 2006, freewebs website, source: Gomantak Times – Weekender, 5 March http://www.freewebs.com/venupreetu/communalviolenceingoa.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 4; US Department of State 2006, International Religious Freedom Report for 2006 – India, 15 September – Attachment 13).

Though currently ruled by Congress, Goa had, until February 2005, been ruled by the RSS affiliated BJP until recent times. Accounts differ as to the extent to which the Manohar Parrikar-led BJP government was a positive or a negative force in terms of communal tensions. The sources are not continuous on this point as is evidenced from the examples below:

From Frontline: Goa has witnessed several periods of political instability. Since achieving statehood in 1987, it has had 17 Chief Ministers, with one – – ruling for 17 days. In contrast, the pre-statehood days saw the MGP and later the Congress dominating Goan politics. While the MGP ruled Goa for almost 17 years since 1963, the Congress rose to power in the early 1980s. But since 1987, Goa has been in the news for frequent change of governments and defections. This trend, observers say, is largely owing to the infighting in the Congress and the BJP’s successful attempts to engineer defections of Opposition legislators. Meanwhile, the electorate, especially during the past few years, became communally polarised between the minority Roman Catholic and the majority Hindu communities. Parrikar denied that the communal polarisation of the electorate was the result of the Sangh Parivar’s work. He said: “Over the past 25 years the minorities have generally voted for the Congress. This is one reason why the Goan politician does not bother about the voter. Analyses have shown that 27 to 28 per cent of the electorate vote for the Congress. It is also known that a candidate who manages to get 38 per cent of the votes wins an Assembly seat in Goa. This is what helps the Congress, not the BJP. Nowhere in the world does the majority vote en bloc.”

But the Congress holds the BJP responsible for the communal polarisation. Faleiro, two-time Chief Minister and former Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president, said: “The BJP did everything possible to polarise voters. Parrikar’s was an autocratic, despotic and fascist government, which tried to terrorise the minorities. Attacks on the Church, on commercial establishments run by Congress workers, and on masjids showed the government’s slant. The government’s work was detrimental to Goa’s posterity. Goa’s heritage is its communal harmony and religious amity.” Rane said the BJP did polarise the electorate “to some extent”, but the outcome of the recent zilla panchayat elections “hadn’t really shown that they had succeeded” (‘Another government in Goa’ 2005, Frontline, 18 June – 1 June, vol.22, iss.13 http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2213/stories/20050701003502900.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 14).

From People’s Democracy (Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India – Marxist): In Goa, where so much revenue comes from tourism, and where one would expect that their campaign for homogenising the state’s cultural profile would not cut ice because of the long association with Portugal, with so much interaction by the people of Goa with citizens of almost every country in the world as holiday makers, and the composite cultural heritage of the state, the BJP government has managed to make its mark in many ways.

It has managed to carry out a campaign against Christians, at the same time, it has succeeded in showing individual members of the Christian community that its major antagonism is with the Muslims. All its national level baithaks and conventions have been diatribes against Muslims, on grounds of which it has managed support of some Christian MLAs.

…In Goa, the BJP, predictably, began its stint with spurious claims on various churches, held hundreds of hate filled meetings, but it also went on to communalise the educational system as in all other states under its rule, which cannot easily be undone should another government take over (details People Democracy, August 5, 2001). Christians form about 30 per cent of the population, but this has not deterred the forces.

It achieved the twin goals of privatisation and communalisation of school education through a spurious critique of government schools followed by handing over of many such schools to RSS affiliated bodies at the price of a token of rupee one. As the Goa Congress MP Eduardo Faleiro, had pointed out even then, these schools, being given at a rent of one rupee a year, amounts to “a gift of government property to the RSS”.

According to an Economic and Political Weekly report by Frederick Noronha, June 30, 2001, and a Deccan Herald report by Devika Sequeira, June 11, 2001, over 50-plus primary schools were handed over to various front organisations of the Sangh Parivar. The aim was achieved through the instrumentation of the Vidya Bharti Educational Society, the RSS front in the field of education (‘Goa Under Saffron Government’ 2005, People’s Democracy, 13 February http://pd.cpim.org/2005/0213/02132005_nalini.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 16).

In January 2004, the noted Indian journalist Sagarika Ghose published a column which commented extensively on the unique situation of the BJP and the RSS in Goa. The BJP were in power in Goa at the time of publication, led by Manohar Parrikar (Ghose states that he is an RSS member), and Ghose argues that, in spite of winning government, the BJP had not pursued the kind of aggressive Hindutva policies the BJP governments of India’s other states have been noted for. Ghose goes on to argue that the importance of a tolerant society to Goa’s lucrative tourist economy, coupled with the importance of the powerful Catholic minority, has contained the kind of hardline politics that has troubled other states.

New Year revellers are crawling back from the beaches of BJP-ruled Goa, having cast off their clothes and inhibitions for a few days of sandy celebration. As the parties on the beach wind down, another party is being fashioned not so far away from the fun-worshippers gyrating nakedly in their shacks. In an election year, with hope in its heart and bijli sadak pani on its lips, the BJP is desperately seeking a modern identity. It is seeking an identity that is different from that frightening backward-looking anti-woman, anti-minority and anti-youth force known as Hindutva. And, curiously enough, it is in tiny Goa, where the BJP has somewhat succeeded in becoming more modern than anywhere in north India. Ten years ago, the BJP was invisible in Goa. Congress and smaller regional parties like the United Goan Democratic Party and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party dominated.

Defections were so astoundingly brazen that never mind the ‘Aya Rams’ and ‘Gaya Rams’ of north India, instead the ‘Aya D’Souzas’ and ‘Gaya D’Souzas’ of Goa were responsible for as many as 13 governments in a decade. Since then there has been a cataclysmic change: the BJP has entered the political scene, after first allying with the MGP and then swallowing it up. And two years ago, Manohar Parrikar, IIT-educated RSS member, became chief minister of what is fast becoming India’s party state. …Although he is as vulnerable to charges of saffronisation as any sangh politician, he has, at the same time, brought Goa to a point where its revenue coffers and electricity are in surplus. There are many reasons why Goa can be seen as the poster-state for a ‘modern’ BJP. Parrikar may be an RSS member, but he cannot, for fear of perennial damage to Goa’s international allure and her 2 million seasonal tourists, ever forget that he leads a republic of fiesta and susegado (good living). RSS gerontocrats may be furious at bikinis and five star hotels but they can never forget that it is precisely this that brings in massive revenue, jobs and tourism opportunities for locals. So while Hindutva gangs in Mumbai can set fire to posters of lesbian movies or disrupt fashion shows in Nasik, in Goa, hindutva must play second fiddle to the birdie dance. Moreover, as every lover of Goa knows, the beach parties are a myth. The reality is a traditional and uniquely spiritual society where the romance with god is far too varied to ever be exclusively Hindu. This is perhaps the only state so far where the BJP must contend with a large (thirty per cent Catholic) minority which is sophisticated, powerful and deeply rooted. Behind the shuttered windows of the great mansions belonging to the venerable old Catholic families such as the Silva home in or the Figueredo home in breathes the spirit of “delicadeza” (delicacy) and “decencia” (decency). Hindutva must coexist with the profoundly plural Goan Hinduism of thousands of common customs. Every wayside shrine, whether a hibiscus under a crucifix or candle outside a shantadurga mandir roars out its repudiation of bigotry. In villages like Mashem Loliem, Dassehra processions stop at the homes of only certain and certain Christians. In villages like (Remo Fernandez’ village), jagor (folk) music is played by both communities and Hindus perform ‘teatre’, drama traditionally associated with Christians. Folk humanist Christianity and gentle festive Hinduism have coexisted for so long that they have formed their own canon. Sure, the two worlds barely touch, there’s hardly any inter-marriage and a fair degree of competitiveness. Yet running through the ‘communidad’ of every village, surrounding the common kuladevatha (village deity) shrines and rising upward to the palm trees, is the whispered conviction: “Ami Bhau” (We are brother). Parrikar has been accused of saffronising primary school education. Reports say that village schools have been forced to close and then handed over to RSS-backed organisations. There are reports that he has also encouraged the saffronisation of the school syllabus, that textbooks written by the Goa examination board are advancing an anti-Christian, anti-Muslim mentality. The RSS is reportedly active among the Kunbi Velip tribes through the Girivasi Sammelan schemes. Yet there is also the inescapable fact that any one seeking to win elections in Goa simply cannot afford to play an anti-minority card. This is because out of 40 assembly constituencies, 9 are majority Christian constituencies and are located in the Christian heartland of Salcette as are several other constituencies in north Goa, or , in the Baga area. A shared history of suffering under the Portuguese means that no politician who pits communities against each other can hope to win votes. There is yet another reason why aggressive Hindutva cannot succeed in Goa. And this is the . Konkani binds Hindu and Christian in an irreversible bond. Konkani is much more than just a language: it stands for the Goan way of life and it is the language that the fought for against the waves of Marathi-speakers from the north. The BJP’s “aryan” Hindutva is seen by many as a covert attempt to impose Marathi and declare it as an official language and any administrative agenda that attacks Konkani is doomed to disaster. The defence of Konkani, so dear to every Goan, is also a defence of Goan plurality. Manohar Parrikar may be an RSS cadre but Goa will never let him become . His people are too scornful of narrow-mindedness, far too close to each other’s lives to be torn asunder by vicious politics. No wonder Parrikar has turned his attention to sound financial management, roads, an excellent social security scheme for the aged, agro-based industries and subsiding exports. In Goa, the BJP has been made more tolerant, more development-oriented, far more careful about nasty rhetoric and thus more modern than anywhere else in India. Of course, your humble columnist still doesn’t know whether the sangh parivar will ever be cool enough to invite to a beach party, but, hey, didn’t recently say she wanted Madhya Pradesh to become another Goa? (Ghose, S. 2004, ‘Hindutva on the beach’, Indian Express, 8 January – Attachment 12)

The US Department of State has noted that “[i]n July 2003, the BJP government in Goa proposed removing Good Friday and another Christian holiday from the list of official holidays. After widespread protests from Christians, the measure was withdrawn in July 2003, and there was no further attempt to remove such holidays from the official list” (US Department of State 2004, International Religious Freedom Report for 2004 – India, 15 September – Attachment 11).

Jamaat-e-Islami in Goa The Islamist political movement known as Jamaat-e-Islami is known to be active in Goa, and in neighboring state, as the Karnataka-Goa unit of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is said to be a linked though independent offshoot of the more widely known Jamaat-e-Islami of Pakistan). The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is currently a legal political entity in India but it has been banned in the past and, like most Islamist groups in India, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind tends to be a marginal force in those states where Muslims do constitute a significant part of the population. A recent report notes the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s attempts to disassociate itself with an incident of communal violence in neighbouring Karnataka state. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s historical association with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has often led to members of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind becoming persons of interest for India’s security forces. No reports could be located that would indicate that Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has attacked Christians in the state of Goa. (For the Karnataka-Goa unit of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind’s attempt to dissociate itself with communal violence in Karnataka, see: ‘Mangalore still tense’ 2006, The Hindu, 8 October – Attachment 23; for a report of a Jamaat-e-Islami Hind member being arrested as a suspected SIMI activist, see: Chopra, A. 2006, ‘Mumbai probe eyes local Muslim group’, Christian Science Monitor, 19 July http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0719/p06s01-wosc.html – Accessed 21 July 2006 – Attachment 21; for historical links to SIMI, see: ‘Students Islamic Movement of India’ 2005, South Asia Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/simi.htm – Accessed 9 May 2006 – Attachment 22).

Christians and police protection in Goa Generally speaking it would appear that Goa’s Christian communities are afforded protection by the police force, which acts to protect citizens from communal violence. Police precautions for the recent Christmas period are a case in point. On 28 December 2006 it was reported by the Indian Catholic website that “Catholics in the western Indian coastal state of Goa celebrated Christmas with traditional devotion and pomp, but amid unprecedented security” following the issuance of “a terrorism alert, warning of a planned Al Qaeda attack on tourists in Goa during the Christmas and New Year holidays”. Police reportedly undertook extensive operations to ensure the safety of church services. While it is clear from the report that security measures were extended to Catholic congregations, the report does not mention whether, or not, these security measures were also extended to Evangelical services.

On Dec. 22, Director General B.S. Brar told media the administration would deploy additional security forces and hold regular coordination meetings with police officials from neighboring states. Goa, whose capital, Panaji, is 1,910 kilometers southwest of New , shares borders with Karnataka and Maharashtra.

As Christmas neared, police focused on verification and surveillance of former convicts, rowdies, suspected extremists and recent arrivals to the state. They also met with Church authorities, alerting them of tightened security around churches, especially during Christmas Eve midnight Masses.

Despite the heightened concern, all the state’s churches reported that midnight Masses were held without incident. The most popular venue, Don Bosco High School in Panaji, had a record number of visitors.

Journalist Alexandre Barbosa, a Catholic who attended the midnight Mass on the school grounds, said people came as early as 11 p.m. because of the security threat. He found it “odd to see gun-toting security personnel occupying vantage positions” (De Sousa Eremita, B. 2006, ‘Reported terrorist threat fails to dampen Christmas vigil celebrations in Goa’, Indian Catholic website, 28 December http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=5337 – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 1).

Nonetheless, some questions have been raised about the adequacy of police protection in relation to communal violence and the following reports may be of interest.

As is noted above, Police reportedly acted to protect the Muslim minority communities of Sanvordem and Curchorem when the BJP incited a riot against local Muslims in this area in March 2006. Nonetheless, police were criticized for failing arrest the BJP leaders involved and for failing to protect Muslim properties from destruction. The Goa deputy inspector- general of police, Ujjwal Mishra, responded that resources were stretched and that the physical safety of the minority community had to be prioritized. Goa’s Congress-led state government also came in for criticism for being insufficiently prepared to counter the disturbance.

Reliable sources reveal that while SP (South) was against issuing permission to the minority community to hold a rally because he felt that the situation was threatening to snowball into a major controversy between the minority and majority community. However, the Deputy Magistrate (South) granted permission to hold the rally. Later Deputy Magistrate did withdraw the permission to hold the rally, but by then it was too late and in the unfortunate incident happening since Friday many from the minority community were attacked , their shops destroyed, houses ransacked and vehicles damaged and scorched.

If on Friday, the police with a little force of over 409 personnel failed to handle the mob of 300o plus, then on Saturday with a force led by SP (South). six Dy.SP’s and 12 Police Inspector’s stood as mute spectators as the crowd went on a rampage after being ignited by the BJP leaders.

…Six Dy.SP s, about Twelve Police Inspectors should have controlled it, but the force was inadequate.

Senior officials of the Goa police admit that some of the damage unleashed on minorities could have been controlled and quelled since there were Six DySPs and Eleven Police Inspector’s who were at the spot. However they admit that the number of men did not add up. The force was woefully short of what was needed to stem the violence.

Though no one is admitting this openly, it is clear that the entire force and the almost non- existent police machinery was caught napping and were unprepared for the situation. The BJP and its affiliates knew only too well that it takes Thirty six hours for Goa to mobilize optimum personal in a situation like this and struck without warning.

The Goa Government has claimed credit for not allowing the violence to get out of hand. In fact Chief Minister Rane actually termed the situation peaceful, since there not a single causality. (As our stories will tell you, this claim is laughable)

Significantly, police officials have completely denied the BJP propaganda that minority gangs had come from Bhatkal and Karwar in Karnataka and had brandished swords and threatened to wipe out the majority population in Sanvordem. DIG Ujjwal Mishra said that both the SP and DM (South Goa) confirmed that “in meeting of the minorities yesterday (Friday) none was armed or looked like an outsider”.

Mishra admitted that the Goa police was “badly stretched” and was in no position to control the sudden but almost premeditated attack on minority shops, establishments.

Asked why the police fiddled in Curchorem while it burnt, Mishra speaking to TEAM GT said “We wanted to save lives. The force was escorting the victims and was not enough to counter attack and arrest the attackers.”

…What has shocked the minority community is the unprepardness and inefficiency of the Goa police and Congress government. “if the police suspected foul play they should have come prepared. There were hardly 30 or 40 policemen when a mob of more than 1000 policemen attacked us,” said another person (Communal Violence in Goa: Neros in Khaki’ 2006, freewebs website, source: Gomantak Times – Weekender, 5 March http://www.freewebs.com/venupreetu/communalviolenceingoa.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 4; for further details on this incident, see: ‘Sanvordem-Curchorem riots shouldn’t have happened’ 2006, Goanet website, source: Gomantak Times – Weekender, 19 March http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=414 – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 5).

As is noted above, the All India Christian Council (AICC) has reported that police provided an inadequate response in December 2005 when “Hindu fundamentalists ransacked a church at Ponda in Goa” (though the report does note that the police refused to facilitate the demands of the offended Hindus and that some of the attackers were arrested) (‘Church attacked, Pastor intimidated in Goa’ (undated), All India Christian Council website http://www.aiccindia.org/news/church_attacked_pastor_intimidated_in_goa.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 6).

According to a Deccan Herald report published in April 2005, Goa’s former BJP government had closed down certain police investigations of RSS supporters accused of vandalism. After the BJP lost its controlling majority and government in February 2002, the “the police [were] compelled to reopen [the] case” (Sequeira, D. 2005, ‘Parrikar remains BJP’s strong man in Goa’, 17 April http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr172005/national181482005416.asp – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 15).

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Ask.com search engine http://www.ask.com Google search engine http://www.google.com.au/ AlltheWeb.com search engine http://www.alltheweb.com

Databases: FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIMA Country Information database) REFINFO (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Country Research database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. De Sousa Eremita, B. 2006, ‘Reported terrorist threat fails to dampen Christmas vigil celebrations in Goa’, Indian Catholic website, 28 December http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=5337 – Accessed 16 January 2007.

2. ‘Catholic Priest Murdered in Goa State, India’ 2006, International Christian Response website, source: Compass Direct, 22 March http://www.christianresponse.org/articles/318/catholic-priest-murdered-in-goa-state- india – Accessed 16 January 2007.

3. ‘Goa priest murdered after speaking against inter-faith violence’ 2007, Catholic News website, 21 March http://www.cathnews.com/news/603/120.php – Accessed 16 January 2007.

4. ‘Communal Violence in Goa: Neros in Khaki’ 2006, freewebs website, source: Gomantak Times – Weekender, 5 March http://www.freewebs.com/venupreetu/communalviolenceingoa.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007.

5. ‘Sanvordem-Curchorem riots shouldn’t have happened’ 2006, Goanet website, source: Gomantak Times – Weekender, 19 March http://www.goanet.org/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=414 – Accessed 16 January 2007.

6. ‘Church attacked, Pastor intimidated in Goa’ (undated), All India Christian Council website http://www.aiccindia.org/news/church_attacked_pastor_intimidated_in_goa.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007.

7. ‘A report on activities of the aicc from Nov. 2005 – March 2006’ 2006, Secular India website, source: All India Christian Council, 7 April http://www.secularindia.com/comments/2006/04/13Christian.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007.

8. ‘Story number 1 for 26 Nov 2002’ 2002, Mission Network News website, 26 November http://www.mnnonline.org/article/4056 – Accessed 16 January 2007.

9. ‘3 hurt in attacks on churches’ 2000, The Tribune website, 8 May http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20000609/nation.htm#1 – Accessed 16 January 2007.

10. Asia-Pacific Human Rights Network 2000, ‘Violence against Christians continues – Method in the Sangh Madness’, South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre website, 28 August http://www.hri.ca/partners/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF25.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007.

11. US Department of State 2004, International Religious Freedom Report for 2004 – India, 15 September.

12. Ghose, S. 2004, ‘Hindutva on the beach’, Indian Express, 8 January. (FACTIVA)

13. US Department of State 2006, International Religious Freedom Report for 2006 – India, 15 September.

14. ‘Another government in Goa’ 2005, Frontline, 18 June – 1 June, vol.22, iss.13 http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2213/stories/20050701003502900.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007.

15. Sequeira, D. 2005, ‘Parrikar remains BJP’s strong man in Goa’, 17 April http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr172005/national181482005416.asp – Accessed 16 January 2007.

16. ‘Goa Under Saffron Government’ 2005, People’s Democracy website, 13 February http://pd.cpim.org/2005/0213/02132005_nalini.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007.

17. Hendon, D.W. & Greco, D.E. 2001, ‘Notes on church-state affairs’, Journal of Church & State, winter, vol.43, no.1, pp.171-192. (RRT Library)

18. Banerjee, S. 2004, ‘Face off between Sena leader and Goa CM’, Times of India website, 15 April http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/617966.cms – Accessed 16 January 2007. 19. Palshikar, S. 2004, ‘Shiv Sena: A Tiger with Many Faces?’, Economic and Political Weekly, 3-10 April http://www.epw.org.in/articles/2004/04/7040.pdf – Accessed 20 June 2006.

20. RRT Country Research 2001, Research Response IND22491, 27 April.

21. Chopra, A. 2006, ‘Mumbai probe eyes local Muslim group’, Christian Science Monitor, 19 July http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0719/p06s01-wosc.html – Accessed 21 July 2006.

22. ‘Students Islamic Movement of India’ 2005, South Asia Terrorism Portal http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/simi.htm – Accessed 9 May 2006.

23. ‘Mangalore still tense’ 2006, The Hindu, 8 October. (FACTIVA)

24. ‘Population by religious communities’ (undated), Census of India website http://demotemp257.nic.in/httpdoc/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/ Population_by_religious_communities.htm – Accessed 31 January 2007.

25. Borges, C. 2000, ‘The Changing Faces of Christianity in Goa: From Being Portuguese to Being Indian ?’, Lusotopie http://www.lusotopie.sciencespobordeaux.fr/borges.pdf – Accessed 16 January 2007.

26. Sundstrom, B. 1997, ‘The Postman of Goa’, Worldwide Challenge Magazine website, November/December http://www.wwcmagazine.org/1997/goa.html – Accessed 2 February 2007.