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India: Goa Solidarity Meet Condemns Attacks on Minorities

In collaboration with several civil society organizations, the Council for Social Justice and Peace of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman organized a Solidarity Meet on August 9 at Azad Maidan to condemn recent attacks against minorities in India. The gathering renewed calls for the creation of a State Minority Commission in Goa and voiced opposition to the proposed enactment of an anti-conversion law in the state.

The peaceful assembly was attended by Archbishop Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman; Bishop Simião Fernandes, Auxiliary Bishop of Goa and Daman; along with citizens of various faiths, activists, and community leaders in a united call for the protection of minority rights and the promotion of communal harmony. Participants unanimously resolved to submit a petition to the Government of Goa.

The petition, read by Fr. Savio Fernandes, Executive Secretary of the Council for Social Justice and Peace, and signed by the attendees, cited the recent arrest of two Keralite nuns and a tribal man at Durg Railway Station in Chhattisgarh as “one of the latest in a spate of persecutions of minorities in India.”

The petition further stated that “some of the newer anti-conversion laws stand in complete violation of the right to freedom of religion, as well as other fundamental rights,” and urged the protection of minority communities guaranteed in the Constitution of India.

Citing the Karnataka High Court’s warning about the potential “weaponization” of such laws by vigilante groups, the statement drew parallels to Goa, where Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has announced plans to enact a similar law. “This announcement by the Chief Minister is like adding salt to the wounds of the minorities in Goa,” the petition declared, adding that instead of addressing the long-standing demand for a State Minority Commission, “such baseless laws are being proposed.”

The petition also noted that minorities in Goa have “faced riots, hate speech, incitement, and provocative statements,” as well as economic challenges. It alleged that false FIRs had been filed against community members, later quashed by the courts, and that minorities had been denied permission to hold meetings, rallies, or protests, with “anti-terror laws and oppressive anti-conversion laws dangled over them.” Minority institutions, including educational and social welfare organizations, were also reported to be “facing increasing challenges.”

The solidarity meet concluded with three key demands:

  1. Immediate establishment of a transparently selected and accountable State Minority Commission, backed by state legislation.
  2. Rejection of any proposal to enact an anti-conversion law in Goa, citing its misuse in other states.
  3. Restoration of law and order through the protection of religious freedom and minority rights.

The program concluded with the singing of the National Anthem, as participants reaffirmed their commitment to justice, peace, and the safeguarding of democratic values.

 

Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.”  Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.