KATHY FERNANDES
CANACONA
It was an age-old tradition to celebrate the feasts at the Church of Our Lady of Springs on February 2 and the Chapel of St Francis of Assisi on October 4 on Anjediva Island off Karwar, until the Catholic community was prohibited by the Indian Navy from entering the island since 2005.
While the Catholic community has made repeated attempts and fervent appeals in the struggle to retain their right to celebrate both feasts on Anjediva Island, which once belonged to Goa before being gifted to the Navy for the INS Kadamba project, a Goan family that also had land there continues its fight for justice.
After all, not many people can claim ownership to a house, well and plantations on 800 sqmtrs of land at the island. What’s more, they were even operating a bar on the island for four decades since 1947.
Laximan Bapuji Raikar of Polem-Canacona is visibly anguished as he recalls memories of his bar, house, well and a few plantations on 800 sqmtrs of his land, which, incidentally, was excluded by the Goa government, while gifting Anjediva Island, comprising 7.8 lakh sq mtrs of land, to the defence ministry.
Raikar squarely blames the State government for keeping him in the lurch and continues to demand compensation from the State government and/or defence ministry.
“Everyone from Karnataka who was displaced or whose land was acquired for the Seabird project was rehabilitated and compensated. Only we, the lone Goan family, have been kept out and I solely hold my State government responsible for my fate,” an upset Laximan Raikar told The Goan.
“Except for 800 sq mtrs of land, containing my bar, house, well and a few plantations, the entire island was snatched by our government and gifted free of cost to the defence ministry. What is the use of that 800 sq mtrs of land, when I have no permission to visit my structure and land or to even step on the island itself?”
Laximan and his family “ which includes five sons and six daughters “ claimed he had been forcibly evicted from Anjediva Island at gun point.
Atul Raikar, one of Laximan’s sons, claimed when his father refused to leave the island, someone from the Indian Navy threatened him that an ‘order to shoot’ would be issued if he failed to evacuate.
Confirming this claim, Laximan said: “Yes, they told me they would shoot and kill me if I did not leave the island. They said an encounter would be carried out by issuing an ‘order to shoot’ if I were to be seen on Anjediva Island or in the nearby sea water. I was forcibly evicted from the island.”
Added Atul: “As my father tried to fight his case, he suffered a stroke after all this ordeal and was hospitalised for a long time. During this time, the Goa government and defence ministry carried out paperwork for the transfer of the island without taking our concerns into consideration.”
According to Laximan, his late father, Bapuji Toko Bhandari, had been cultivating paddy fields on Anjediva Island and had even opened a bar.
“The first licence to operate our bar on Anjediva Island by the Portuguese regime was granted in 1947. Besides the bar, we were cultivating paddy fields, coconut, cashew and even banana plantations, besides even planting several fruit-bearing trees such as jackfruit.”
“After the defence ministry put pressure on the State government not to renew our excise licence for our bar at Anjediva, we had no option but to transfer the licence to our storehouse at Polem.”
“On the one hand, we were allowed/provided 800 sq mtrs of land on which lies our bar/house, a well and plantations. But on the other hand, we are not allowed to enter our plantations nor our house/bar, as the INS Kadamba has banned civilian entry in and around Anjediva Island.”
Clarifying he is not against the Navy, Laximan, however, insists he should have been adequately compensated for his property.
“We are not against the defence needs of our nation, as we to want our country to be prepared in all capabilities. But why were only we kept in the wilderness when all others were either rehabilitated or compensated? Why are authorities looking the other way when we have legitimate grievances?”
“We have been corresponding with almost every authority but our pleas have not been heard. After our former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar became the country’s defence minister, we wrote to him to consider our pleas for suitable rehabilitation or compensation. Despite assuring us, he failed to address our concerns.”
“We even wrote to then chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar and he too was silent and his office did not attend to our petition. We have also raised our concerns with South Goa MP Narendra Savoikar, imploring him to take up our case with the defence ministry, but he too paid no heed to our plight,” laments Laximan.
â– Anjediva island was a revenue village of Canacona Taluka and post liberation, was even considered a part of Loliem-Polem panchayat.
â– It has three Survey numbers, 1/0, 2/0 & 3/0, with each survey numbers earmarked in hectares of land, comprisng Survey 1/0 (0000.09.50 Hac), Survey 2/0 (0023.20.25 Hac) and Survey 3/0 (0010.54.00 Hac), which is about 7,80,000 sq. mtrs of land in the Arabian sea
â– The island is about 5 nautical miles from Binaga coast (Karwar district) and about two hours by boat ride from Polem (Goa’s border)
â– For centuries, the Catholic community would traditionally celebrate the feasts of the Church of Our Lady of Springs on February 2 and the Chapel of St Francis of Assisi on October 4.
â– In 1986, the defence ministry began acquiring land along Karwar’s coast for the INS Kadamba, considering the strategic importance of nation’s defence preparedness.
â– Given the strategic location of islands in the area, Indian Navy also eyed Anjediva Island, which had limited inhabitants and two historically important religious structures
â– The defence ministry approached Goa Government for this acquisition Collector (South) passed an order dated December 8, 1987 for the transfer of land (Anjediva Island) to the Ministry of Defence with suitable compensation
â– The Collector also awarded payment of compensation for land, forest produce and structures Following the sentiments of the Catholic community, the Collector also included a specific condition: “The navy may allow on the island the celebrations of customary feast of St Francis de Assisi and Church of Nossa Senhora das Brotas, subject to security considerations.”
â– According to the order, except for 800 sq. mtrs which included a house and house-well (in Survey 2/0), the total area of 33,92.75 Ha in Survey 1/0, 2/0 & 3/0 was passed for transfer to Defence Ministry
â– After many inspections, authorities rejected private ownership rights on government land, but accepted the fact a bar (structure), house well, and some agricultural produce was on 800 sq. mtrs of land on Anjediva Island in
Survey 2/0
â– Authorities declared that the private claimant (Laximan Raikar) was an encroacher of paddy fields and agriculture plantations on other land in the island
â– The State government decided to forego the compensation of Rs 48,12,711, after the compensation was waived off by the Goa cabinet on a specific request of the defence minister
â– As a result, the Anjediva Revenue Village of Canacona (surveys 1/0, 2/0 & 3/0) was gifted ‘free of cost’ to the defence ministry on August 20, 1991, by then chief minister Ravi Naik, when Sharad Pawar was then defence minister
â– But Naik did not insist on maintaining the rights of the Catholic community to celebrate both feasts on the island
â– Having taken control of Anjediva Island, the Navy allowed the faithful to celebrate the church feast here, permitting devotees to travel in trawlers to the island under strict surveillance till February 2, 2003
â– The breakwater was constructed by 2004 and the Catholic community was given one final opportunity to celebrate the feast at Anjediva on February 2, 2004
â– Since then, the navy has rejected requests by the Catholic community to celebrate both feasts, citing security concerns
â– The Catholic community hoped they would be allowed to celebrate the two feasts on Anjediva Island, when late Manohar Parrikar became defence minister. However, their hopes were dashed when Parrikar politely declined to pursue their demands with the defence ministry, citing “security reasons”
â– Even the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, after initially making petitions and demanding the right to celebrate both feasts, did not eventually pursue the matter
â– A few concerned citizens, however, have continued to make several petitions to civil and military authorities to enable the Catholic community to celebrate both feasts on the island While the Chapel of St Francis De Assisi turned to ruins, the Our Lady of Springs Church was renovated at a cost of Rs 45 lakh by the Archaeological Survey of India, considering its historical importance
â– A senior citizen of Canacona, Natividade De Sa, had recently petitioned the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi seeking permission to celebrate the two feasts. After some progress, the efforts were dashed when the Navy declined permission to civilians on security grounds, days before the church feast on February 2
