Author: Nirmala Carvalho
Publication: AsiaNews.It
Date: June 2, 2005
URL: http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=3430
Hindus want to stop Tribals from
getting a Catholic education so as to better control them, says the Bishop
of Amravati. Government and press are abetting the whole thing. "The authorities
should wake up; such episodes are the seed of a great tragedy", says human
rights activist.
The arrest of a Catholic priest
for alleged child molestation is being used by Hindu fundamentalist to
tarnish the reputation of the Catholic Church. Whilst this is happening
the central government remains indifferent.
The alleged incident is said to
have occurred in Amravati, Maharashtra state, but the local Bishop has
defended the priest, saying that the accusations are false. Instead, he
has charged Hindu extremists with setting up the Catholic clergyman in
an attempt to stop Tribals (Adivasi) from getting a Catholic education.
In talking about the case of Fr
Gervas Fernandes, Mgr Edwin Colaço, Bishop of Amravati, described
to AsiaNews what happened.
On May 20, Father Fernandes was
arrested after the parents of an 11-year-old boy accused the priest of
sexually molesting their son-the boy had been living in a hostel managed
by the Church inside the compound of the local Cathedral.
The previous day Father Fernandes
was preparing to go to his new mission station when he asked the boy to
accompany him. Hence, he asked him to change from his home clothes into
something more appropriate for travelling outside the village.
The boy's father told the police
that the priest then called his son to his room and coerced the boy into
giving him a body massage.
Following standard procedure in
such cases, the police sent the priest and the boy for medical examinations.
But the results have not been released yet. Through it all, Father Fernandes
maintains his innocence.
For Bishop Colaço, the arrest
is based on false accusations instigated by Hindu fundamentalists to discredit
the educational and development activities of the Church among local Tribals.
"The boy's family later tried to
retract the complaint but was forced to retain it under pressure from Hindu
radicals, who would like to exploit the situation." Bishop Colaço
said. "The family came to me later and said they regretted their complaint,
which they did in a fit of rage," he added.
On May 21, about 100 young militants
from the Bharatiya Janata Party (a party linked to Hindu fundamentalists)
demonstrated in front of the Bishop's House, demanding action against a
priest accused of pedophilia.
On May 22, Father Fernandes was
released on bail, but chose to stay from the Cathedral to avoid violent
actions by extremists. He will be tried under India's Penal Code for unnatural
offences that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Bishop Colaço is concerned
with the situation of the local Church and Christian Tribals, especially
since Father Fernandes's case is not an isolated one. "These false allegations
of child molestation are a tragedy. The clergy and nuns in the diocese
of Amravati give their lives for these poor illiterate people," he said.
As far he is concerned, Hindu fundamentalists
want to stop young Tribals from receiving an education in Church-run colleges
even if it is against the interests of the people. "The living conditions
of these children are pitiful. Were it not for the vocations and vision
of our priests, they would grow up uneducated, malnourished and without
dignity," he stressed.
What is worse, Father Fernandes's
case is being used by Hindu fundamentalists to mount a meticulous campaign
against the Catholic presence in the region by staging demonstrations,
making threats and thanks to media complicity.
A local BJP worker said that "[e]veryone
must know what happened. We are not going to leave this issue so easily."
But although the accused priest is Indian, the he said his people would
not allow "firangi padri" (foreign priests) to destroy "our culture."
According to Bishop Colaço,
the local press has covered the case superficially and irresponsibly, one
paper going as far as carrying a headline that read: "Bishop of Amravati
arrested for paedophilia." The report claimed that police had arrested
a "42-year-old bishop" in "connection with a pedophilia allegation."
The situation is made worse by the
indifference of local and central authorities. The Bishop wrote to Maharashtra's
Home Minister and Chief Minister to complain about the defamatory press
coverage of the case and about the arrest itself which was done without
any evidence and in the absence of an attorney.
John Dayal, secretary general of
the All India Catholic Union, said that several times he complained to
the Congress Party about the violence perpetrated by Hindu fundamentalists.
"I would like to hope the central government will wake up. This is causing
great distress in predominantly Tribal areas. Such episodes are the seed
of a great tragedy," he warned.
In the past, the diocese of Amravati
was the scene of other violent incidents instigated by Hindu fundamentalists.
Back in February, they threatened 250 Catholics in one village, demanding
they stop practicing their faith and organising 'ceremonies of conversion
back to Hinduism".
