CM: Catholic in Goa is also a Hindu culturally (Herald)

CM: Catholic in Goa is also a Hindu culturally September 6, 2013 TEAM HERALD PANJIM: A Catholic in Goa, is also a Hindu culturally, because his practices don't match with Catholics in Brazil. Except in the religious aspect, a Goan Catholic's way of thinking and practice matches a Hindu's, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said, even as he added that India is in the ‘cultural sense’ a Hindu nation. "India is a Hindu nation in the cultural sense. A Catholic in Goa, is also Hindu culturally, because his practices don't match with Catholics in Brazil; except in the religious aspect, a Goan Catholic's way of thinking and practice matches a Hindu's," Parrikar told The New York Times' blog that was published on Wednesday. In the interview, he also spoke about the BJP’s national election chief, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi saying that the violence in 2002 should not have happened, and indicating that he as an administrator could possibly have done better. “It should not have happened, the administration should have clamped down on any violence, [If I were in his place] I would have ensured…but Modi was new to the job as chief minister,” he said. Arguing, “It was a blot on Modi’s career, but he was not personally a part of it. If he is guilty by connivance he should be punished, but investigations have given him a clean chit. People who oppose him do so because they fear him.” But Parrikar also defended Modi saying: “Administrative failure does not mean everything is blamed on one man, Narendra Modi. What happened then was unfortunate, but that does not require his apology, it requires his correction and he has done that.” Parrikar has just won the elections in the state that has an influential Catholic population and is getting ready to lead the party in the soon to happen Lok Sabha elections. The BJP fielded eight Catholic candidates out of the 24 assembly seats the party contested and his deputy chief minister comes from this community. Also his ‘mission Salcete’ managed to ensure that the Congress was ousted from its traditional Salcete bastion. In his interview that has also been reported in national media, Parrikar took the trouble to distinguish Hindu as a cultural rather than a religious term. "I am not the Hindu nationalist as understood by some TV media ~ not one who will take out a sword and kill a Muslim.” "According to me, that is not Hindu behaviour at all. Hindus don't attack anyone, they only do so for self-defence ~ that is our history," Parrikar said. When asked about the interview by the media Parrikar said that he was not saying anything regarding any misquote or not. “I am not commenting on the interview I gave to them. I am not saying anything… misquoting or not... Take it lock stock and barrel; don’t take it in pieces,” was his reply. http://www.oheraldo.in/News/Main%20Page%20News/CM-Catholic-in-Goa-is-also-a-Hindu-culturally/79144.html