Is it Adeus to Anjediva Church?

The sad news that the 500-year-old, archaeologically as well as historically important church needs to be removed from the picturesque island of Anjediva has upset the Catholic community in Goa, Karwar and elsewhere.

THE Anjediva island, described by the poet Luis de Camoes as the "Island of Amours", has shot into prominence time and again during the last 500 years. This time round the sad news is that Commodore B. R. Rao, Station Commander, Project Sea Bird, has informed the president of the Catholic Association of Goa, Panjim, vide letter No:SB/K/2005 dated 4-7-2002 under a copy to Fr Britto D'Silva, Parish Priest, St. Anne's Church at Binaga in Karwar that "construction activities including the construction of very sensitive facilities will commence in the core area and keeping the nation's security in mind, it will not be possible to permit the visitors to Anjadip Island beyond May 2003."

Therefore, after May 2003, no devotee would be allowed to visit the centuries-old Church of Our Lady of Brotas (Springs). The Navy would allow the church to be rebuilt away from the sensitive area. However, Emilia Menezes, president of the All India Catholic Union, claims that the Navy had given an assurance to the Union two years ago that the Church of Our Lady of Brotas would not be affected by the construction of the Seabird project. Based on the assurance the devotees had agreed to the restrictions, which allow only a single annual visit to the island for the feast of the church on February 2. However, this does not mean that they would agree to demolish and rebuilt the church, which is archaelogically and historically significant for Goa's Christian community. It figures among the first churches built in India, and the first four conversions to Christianity took place at Anjediva.

Opinions differ

Says goanetter Venantius Pinto, "One can understand that a place of worship might be made redundant on account of time, the population moving away, dwindling of the faithful, or it not having caretakers; but we in India have not yet reached the point, where places of worship should simply be erased of their devotional essence and being."

Subhash Paradkar wrote, "Use of places of worship require extra-ordinary sensitive handling and public relations. The Indian Navy has a cultural obligation to meet with the local community and priests, and request them the sacrifice needed for the national security. Like any Indians, Goans will stand by the nation in times of need. The Church can be preserved as a historic place. In my humble opinion, any physical movement or demolishing the place of worship is not necessary to defend the nation."

Salus Correia wrote: "The Church on the Island has a lot of historical value, but considering the circumstances as they stand now, the Navy should be requested to give due respect to the structure and maintain it for posterity. The services that are held there can be held on the mainland. Catholics have to wake up to the fact that 'we' are the church, and the structure/building only has sentimental and historic value. We can definitely show by example that we are willing to share or part with our treasures."

Venantius also says, "A nation that professes secularism has to understand the merits and advantages of maintaining it religious spaces. For the living Christian, the knowledge that the church may be made redundant (although it is sparingly used) will diminish its sense of feeling that we all belong together."

Historical significance

The historical significance of Anjediva Islands, with a lovely little beach bestowed with pearly pebbles, fascinating sea shells and glorious view, takes off with the halt of the Portuguese navigator, Vasco -da-Gama, in 1448 at Angediva (area 340 075 hectares) to replenish stocks of water and repairs of caravels on his return to Portugal.

The Church of Our Lady of Brotas was constructed in1500-1510. Of course, it is on the verge of roof and structure collapse and needs repairs. However, hundreds of Christian and even non-Christian devotees faithfully go there every year for the feast on 2nd February. Another, smaller Church devoted to St Francis de Assisi, which was visited by the people every year for the feast on 4th October already lies in ruins and the visits were stopped some years ago.

A more recent landmark is the memorial of the six Indian jawans, who were shot on 19th December, 1961, by the Portuguese soldiers, unware that Goa had already been liberated. Another element of importance is of the mythological Island of Goddess Aje, who is believed to have fled from her temple at Anjadip when it was invaded by Arabs (1304-78).

The bird's nest

The island was chosen for nesting Asia's biggest naval base--"Sea Bird Project"-conceptualised in the late eighties. Even after nearly 15 years the project moves rather uncertainly, depending probably upon the threat perception. Moreover, with the post September 11, 2001 scenario changes in defence strategies will definitely have to undergo a tremendous change and there are some who feel that the project may turn out to be a "white elephant" when completed.

From information available locally, the Goa Government, somewhere in July 1989, transferred the Anjediv Island, to the Ministry of Defence on the condition that the Navy should allow the celebration of the customary feasts both of St. Francis Assisi and Our Lady of Brotas (Springs), and that a compensation of around Rs.20 crore for the (area 34 0075 Ha) island be paid to the Goa Government; and that the Navy would maintain the assets of archaeological importance, after returning the canons and other movables on the island to the mainland.

Santa Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes, raising the issue in the monsoon session of the Goa State Legislative Assembly, expressed the Goan sentiment that the devotees should be allowed to visit the church to celebrate the feasts of Our Lady of Brotas and St Francis of Assisi since the area was handed over to the Navy free of charge. However, Ponda MLA Ravi Naik clarified that the area was not handed over free but that the Navy in exchange provided land for the Vikrant.

The land was transferred to the Navy by an order issued in 1989 for the project. Sometime in December 1989 or 1990, the entire Anjediva Island was declared as a "prohibited area" and thereafter permission for visits on 2nd February for Feast of Our Lady of Brotas and on 4th October for the feast of St Francis de Assisi was granted subject to permission of the local Sea Bird Project authorities at Binaga, Karwar.

Memories are made of this

For conqueror Afonso de Albuquerque Anjediva, a slice of tropical paradise, was a take-off point to recapture Goa on November 25, 1510. Of course, the Portuguese came and went but the Church of Our Lady of Brotas, which emerged from a chapel, put up by Fr Henrique de Coimbra and eight Franciscans, who had docked at Anjediva on August 22, 1500, remained a bright beacon for the Catholics of Goa, Karwar and elsewhere. Goa's first mass was celebrated here. It was Fr Kurian Theraddy who began the tradition of ferrying civilians to Anjediva in October and February for the feast. When we met him a couple of years ago, Fr Therady, once Anjediva's non-resident chaplain, said, "This church is Christianity's foundation stone in the East and deserves to be preserved."

The Sea Bird project was to have a bridge and a breakwater wall, to be built by L&T, Australian and Netherlands companies at a cost of about Rs.800 crore. The adjoining Aligada hill was being blasted to raise two million tones of rocks and boulders for the proposed breakwaters. A large slice of the Karwar-Binga coast had already been acquired.

Earlier the cruise by a motor boat from Binaga to the island took just about 15 minutes. However, with the reclamation from mainland Binaga towards the Anjediv Island, the faithful have to use the fishing trawlers and travel from Baithkol at the Karwar Port. And yet the number of devotees seems to have hardly come down and don't mind the two-and-half-hours, perilous journey to the island.

On 2nd February 2002, the Holy Mass of the feast of Our Lady of Brotas was solemnized by the Pilar Fathers from Goa with the help of Parish Priest of St Anne's Church, Binaga, Karwar. At the conclusion of the festivities the faithful were requested to donate generously to the dilapidated roof structure, which posed a grave threat to the eventual collapse of the Church and follow the fate of the Church of St. Francis de Assisi which already lies in ruins.

There were other structures, which were not properly maintained, and several canon guns corroded, lying uncared. Atop the hill flies the Indian Flag over a memorial specially erected in the name of the six Indian jawans who laid down their lives on 19th December, 1961.

Parrikar's gesture

The Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, had initially said that he was aware about the issue and agreed to look into it as the church is a historical and archaeologically important monument. He had graciously released a token assistance, before the recently concluded Goa Assembly Elections 2002, for preliminary expenditure to undertake minimal repairs for the roof. Furthermore, the Chief Minister had assured to meet the other expenditure for the repair work, costing nearly Rs.9.5 lacs. The gesture was deeply appreciated by the faithful in Goa and Karwar.

Since then, however, the perspective seems to have changed quite a bit and the Chief Minister says that since it is a question of nation's security, it may not be feasible to allow the church to remain on the island or the faithful to attend religious services in it.

The recent development, however, is a serious setback to the people's aspirations. They still aspire that in view of the Chief Minister's assurances and in keeping with the interests of the nation, which is dear to them, the government would reconsider the shifting of the Church, keeping in view the sentiments of the Catholic community and their five-hundred-year-old connections with the Brotas Church.

The faithful are, however, prepared to face and honour strict entry checks and other restrictions to enable them visit the place and celebrate the feasts on 2nd February and 4th October. In view of the antiquity and historical importance of the Anjediv Island and the Churches thereon to Goans and others the Defence project, even if strategically important, cannot override the sentiments of the people.

Joel D'Souza
Godfrey JJ Gonsalves