Resources to combat ongoing persecution of Christians in Goa

Theoretically Christianity has no place for caste discriminations. Brahminism or Bamanism is a system of Brahmin supremacy or Bamon supremacy. After resurgent challenge to bamanism from the grass roots elites are unable to manipulate Goa's church leadership in order to control native people who have embaced Christian faith. In an ugly urge to set up Baman Rashtra fear of terror is sought to be unleashed against Catholics in Goa. This has provided unique opportunity to carry on the fight uncompromisingly. This post is meant to increase the stamina of the fighters and to be fighters. Victory is always possible to anyone who refuses to give up fighting. The fight continues. Read on.

Over past one month there has been violent discourse against Christians. Violent discourse is followed by desecration of wayside crosses that are prevalent in Goa. This trend touched a new high at early morning hours of July 11, 2017 when over 100 crosses errected over the graves inside the Cementry attached to Guardian Angel Church, Sanvordem were uprooted and name plates severed. This was done in in completely planned manner as per media reports by breaking electric ligh and destroying CCTV cameras. As expected no arrests are effected in either the cases.

Bharat Mukti Morcha considers it is pertinent to intevene at this moment and place important online resources available at the disposal of those who are already in combat, those who are willing to get into combat, those who wants to understand what the persecution of christians is all about, those who are facing persecution and also those who are carrying on the persecution by uprooting crosses for one who hangs on those crosses Jesus had first priority to forgive those crucified him.

Today we present these resources begining with the book 'The Spiritual Combat' by Laurence Scupoli. Please download this book. Click here. Anyone reading this book will begin to feel empoered. Its effectiveness could be multiplied by reading and discussing this book in groups.

The second book we present to you is 'Holiness of Life'  by St. Bonaventure. Click here. We have tremendous joy to present this book as today is also the feast of St. Bonaventure who lived in 13th Century along side St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Anthony of Padua.

Current Persecutions in Goa are in the form of hidden criminal acts of demilition of crosses, stautes of Mother Mary etc. Therefore those who are actually involved in the act are not found or named or clue gathered. Yet we know as to who attempted to murder St. Francis Xavier. Click here. His body is at Old Goa inside the Basillica of Bom Jesus. Decade and a half ago when this Basillica was set on fire by miscreant, State Chief Minister Parrikar was found watching fire early morning at 5.00 am. He was confronted by late Fr. Moreno D'souza and relectantly fire brigade was brought in fire put off without any major damage to Basillica of Bom Jesus. Current desceration of crosses and statues too are going on at midnight or at early mornings and it is not difficult to guess as to who has commnaded these acts to be committed when again now Parrikar is the State Chief Minister holding portfolio of Home Minister with control over police.

St. Francis Xavier however relied on heavenly graces to carry on his mission even though it antagonised Brahmins in India. He composed, now famous prayer for this purpose. Click here.

The third book we present to you is 'Trustful surrender to Divine Providence'. This book by  Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure & St. Claude de la Colombiere. What it says about persuction is this " In the times of persecution Christians were deprived of rank and position, despoiled of their possessions, torn from their families, thrown into prison and sent to execution all for their religious convictions and faith in Christ. Far from complaining, they went their way, like the apostles, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. (58) Whatever the excuse for the persecution you may be made to suffer, and especially if it is because of your religion, accept it all without hesitation as coming from the understanding and paternal hand of your Father who is in heaven." You may download this book. Click here.

Persecution of Christians has not just been from without and from the sources unknown and known. It has also been from within. To know more about this scarecly known persecution down the book 'An Open Letter to Confuseed Catholics' by Archbishop Lefebre. Click here to download. Persecution from within has what has caused large number of land gifted to Church to be sold. In Goa bebeficiaries are Ciba-Geigy in Dulapi, Models Cosntruction in Souto Maoir (Caranzalem) and Ozone Leisure Private Limited in Vanxim. In all the cases agriculture has been sacrified. Moreover manipulation has not restricted to Land sales but also to other facets of faith life. 

Fourth book we present is 'Attention Catholics :Helpful Reminders for Catholics Living in the Modern Confusion' deals aptly with this aspect. You may downlod this book. Click here.

Fifth book we share with you is titled 'The Sword of St. Michael: Saint Pius V
1504-1572' by Lilian Brown- Olf. This book highlights that persecutions are not new to the Catholic Church. Click here to download. 

Arrival of Christianity was itself begining of Persecution. St. Thomas who was amongst the twelve apostles of Jesus was murdered in India near Chennai. Click here to check out.

Yet there has been resurgence in public interest to embrace Christianity as a revolt against Brahmanism in Indian sub-continent. Click here for Nepal update.

In some parts of India there has been severe violence against those who who are converting to Christianity. In 2008 in Orrissa state there was Genocide - mass killings - of Christians at Dsitrict of Khadamal. Here is the link you may download to know to day to day happenings at that time put together by Anto Ekka and team. Click here.  

Currently there are two major international reports on curtailment of religious freedom that includes India. First is 2017 University of Notre Dame Report - 'In response to Persecution'. This report can be downloaded from the links. Click here.

Second report is from United States Commision on International Religious Freedom 2017. This report also report attacks on Christians along with other religions. Report also mentions practice of caste system that has led to atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India. Click here to download. US Embassy in India is to take note of religious and caste violations in India.

We also share links to few major International Organsiations involved in paying attention to Persecutions and People in Goa msut know. Thier website states "Aid to the Church in Need is an international charity of and for the Catholic Church. We give a voice and render relief to Catholics persecuted and oppressed for their Faith." Click here to know more.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide is another organsiation that claims to be voice of the voiceless. Click here to reach to them.

Open Doors is another organsiation that serves persecuted Christians Worldwide. Click here to know more on them.

Voice of the Martyrs is another organisation that is involved in getting monthly newsletter on persecution and facilitates various kinds of help to persecuted Christians worldwide. Click here to reach them.

Release Internation is yet another International Organisation that is involved in campaigning for the release of Christians held in Prisons world wide. Click here to know more. Their website also has report on persecutions ongoing in Orrisa state of India where Christians are forced to stop their prayer and police permisions is made mandatory to organsie community prayer. Click here for there links.

In Pakistan Clement Shahbaz Bhatti, who was Pakistan's Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs, was well known for campaigning against the nation's strict blasphemy law and lobbying for the rights of religious minorities was assasinated on March 02, 2011. He is Martyr for Christian faith and continues to inspire many all over the World after his martydom. Click here. There is also very resourceful wikipedia page page on Bhatti that indicate that he was with long term commitment for Christian defence. Here is more information on his martydom at wikipedia. Click here. 

Goa was once headquaters of spread of Christian faith to entire Asia. Today lets turn Goa into the centre to defend Christian faith all over Asia. Attacks on various crosses and images, attacks on Savordem's Guardian Angel Church Cemetry and uprooting of crosses inside and other forms of desecration inside the cemetry only impels us to take this direction.

For India Check out webite of All India Catholic Union. Click here. 

Fr. Tom Uzhunalil continues to be captivity in Yemen for past few years. Check links here. 

There is desecreation of Church in hyderabad. Check here for links. 

Nuns are harrassed by police. One case is in Bhopal. Here is the link. 

We have not forgotten rape of Sr. Meena Barwa in Khandamal in August 2008. Here is the link. Here is the statement made to media by Sr. Meena on her rape violence. Click here. 

Get access to full report "Genocide in Khandamal" at this link. Click here.  “Kandhamal Unresolved” is a film looks into the present situation of Kandhamal, especially the struggles of victims, denial of peace and justice, intimidation and hate campaign by Sangh Parivar and relationship between the Hindu Identity and the Dalit/Adivasi Identity. The film is now at Youtube. You may click here. 

There is an interesting blog that documents Persecution of Christians in India. Its called 'Christian Persecution India'. Click here.

Goa has no facility to monitor mobile tower radiation

Goa has no facility to monitor mobile tower radiation and Term Cell in Nagpur is not bothered about doing monitoring in Goa. On 20th July 2017 it will one year since Goa Government decided to hand over monitoring of mobile tower radiation to Nagpur based Term cell in Maharashtra State of India. On September 09, 2016 letter was sent to term cell in Nagpur. 

However what shocked us now is that inquiries at Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) revealed that they have no information whether Term cell is monitoring or not even though there are several complainants to mobile towers all over Goa with backing of BJP rule in India and Goa. Term cell was meant to intimate the complainant and we are sure this has not been done as we are complaints on three occasions and listed at  GSPCB records shared here.

Radiation from Mobile towers is harmful to every living form including human, animal, birds, plants, crops, reptiles and fish. There are hundreds of scientific studies about the harmful effects of microwave radiation, and also specifically about the effects of mobile towers. E.g. the following sites tell about them and have direct links to the relevant science articles:

https://emfscientist.org/
http://www.disconnectbook.com/
http://microwavenews.com/
http://www.bioinitiative.org/
https://www.emf-portal.org/en

Another very noticeable study is at links below:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006291X15003988

It is however surprising that Goa government is banking upon short term memory of public to avoid monitoring of mobile towers of every service provider including idea, Vodafone and newly entered one - Reliance that went on spree of digging and installing mobile towers during night time all over Goa. Idea and Vodafone have now been merged into one after recent corporate merger.

Radiation affects everyone and its rather bizarre that Goa Government is not at all serious about monitoring of radiation. We are also aware that mobile companies has been funding political parties and that sure is immediate incentive not to raise issue of radiation from mobile towers in Goa. Only one MLA Alina Saldanha has raised public objection in press citing that mobile towers has led to drastic fall in coconut yield and she will not allow any mobile towers to be installed in her Cortalim Constituency. It looks like her resistance has been over ruled and we see mobile towers installed in Cortalim Constituency too. 

That aside, its now a matter of historical record that baring Alina Saldanha no MLA have spoken out against mobile towers in Goa. Another odd man out is former Fatorda MLA Damu Naik who is one of the complainant against mobile towers as you will notice in the list of complainants we share with you here. The list prepared by GSPCB and was given to BMM as are complainant on three occasions in Bambolim-Nauxim area in Tiswadi Taluka of Goa. All together as per documents provided by  GSPCB there are 51 complaints from different parts of Goa against mobile towers.

If Goa cannot afford to monitor radiation from mobile towers then all the mobile towers must be shut down till monitoring facility is put in place. Goa's environment minister cares a damn for radiation concern for Goa. 

We request all the public and public representatives to put this issue on the agenda and initiate action to get strict monitoring of mobile phone towers. Our ancestors lived without mobile towers and radiations for past running into thousands of years but our future generations may not live so in the presence of radiating mobile towers. 

Have a look at the documents below for study and action.

  GSPCB letter dated 12/09/2016 to BMM on mobile towers

GSPCB letter dated 09/09/2016 to term cell in Nagpur, Maharashtra to carry on radiation monitoring in Goa

 Chief Secretary of Goa convened meeting on 20/07/2016 and decided to hand over monitoring of radiation of mobile towers to Term Cell in Nagpur in presence of complainants. 

 Above and below is an inventory of complaints against mobile towers in Goa 

Good Food, Good life! Bad labour practices, Bad reputation! Lets watch Nestle for demo!

Swiss Multinational corporation Nestle engaged in manufacture of milk products has famous underline: Good Food, Good Life. This underline can be seen at several places in Bicholim Taluka where one of the Nestle plant is located at Van-Maulingem village. The other plant is in Ponda Taluka of Goa. 

This post is concerned with controversial labour practices that has led to labour unrest and litigation over the past few years before the office of Labour commissioner, government of Goa. The central issue of contention is that Nestle has suspended some workers, dismissed others and refused to take them back on job. Labour exploitation and Environmental exploitation are the two facets of workings of capitation for profit maximization. 

Labour exploitation by Nestle is alleged by the workers and agitated in various phases so far. Crux of the matter as we understood after speaking to the agitation Union of the contract workers is this. Nestle refuses to owe responsibility to the fate of the workers who are not taken on the job just because they were engaged by the Contractor. Contractor hired the workers and Nestle benefited as Principal employer usurping surplus from workers efforts. 

Now these workers are denied Job and at the litigation at labour commissioner Nestle denies any links with workers and even refuses to delegate its representative. This has been going on for past almost two years, as we learn from the workers and from the available documents that involves minutes of various meetings convened by labour commissioner and  correspondence with Nestle Plant in Van-Maulingem. BMM contacted the President of the Nestle Contract Workers Union Anand Shirodker and we got the following status report:

Payment of Arreas of settlement benefits not paid to 30 workers for five years from 2013-14 to 2017-18. 

Sixteen workers are not taken on job after the break and contractors are insisting on c0ompiance to hire and fire policy of work. 

Three workers terminated from job allegedly for taking active part in Union activity.

Five workers terminated from from their work in Canteen.

International Union of Foods (IUF) was involved initially to support the workers but eventually ditched the workers for the reasons best known to IUF alone.

BMM will continue to bring updates to you on Nestle dispute at Van-Maulingem. This is the way will understand labour exploitation step by step.