(Letter To The Editor published in oHeraldo on 18/04/2019
The recent controversy in Goa surrounding the political speech delivered by a priest within the church premises has exposed the ignorance of the Catholic community about their own faith. The haste in condemning the priest and apology from the Church leadership only smacks of lethargy and lack of application of mind. The irresponsible responses from the Catholic community in condemning the priest has only played into the false narrative of the Hindutva forces.
The priest may be guilty of going against the self-imposed restraints imposed by the Catholic Church for its priests in regards to politics within the religious place. The priest may have also violated the Model Code of Conduct by the Election Commission, recommending that religious places and events should not be used for election propaganda, when he named the political parties and politicians. However, the contents of the priest's speech in no way exceeded the limits of his priestly duties.
The priest, in fact, was well within his right, as a responsible citizen of this country, to guide society in making responsible political choices. In doing so, narrating facts are sometimes necessary to drive home a point no matter how bitter it may taste to a section of the people. The speech of the priest is not a 'Hate Speech' as alleged by a section of the press, as he has not propagated false perceptions or incited violence against any community or religion, nor has he appealed for votes on religious grounds.
If religious leaders exposing the BJP, Modi and Amit Shah amounts to a hate speech then, the same must also hold true for those Yogis, Gurus, Babas and the rest who publicly ridicule the Congress, Sonia and Rahul.
It is most unfortunate, that there appears to be double standards on what constitutes 'political interference' for Goa's media, one for minorities and quite the opposite for other faiths. Is the media and Election Commission trying to give the public an impression that Mutts, Devasthans and Temples within Goa are free from political meetings and hate speeches during elections? Why this hypocrisy by the BJP and its allied fanatic groups?
Why is the Church leadership in Goa not asserting its Constitutional rights, instead of playing Tom & Jerry with its followers, and getting the Catholic community boxed into political silence by the communal political forces?
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