PANAJI
Jesuits, human rights and environmental activists observed a ‘National Vigil’ on Constitution Day at the Our Lady of Immaculate Church square in Panaji recently.
The event was organised by SWADES, a social unit of the Goa Jesuit Province, along with the Goa Shapers (Panjim hub), a youth organisation and other civil society groups.
In his address, SWADES Director Fr Simon Fernandes made a mention of Fr Jerome D’Souza, a Jesuit and a member of the Constituent Assembly, who had made valuable suggestion in favour of weaker sections of the society and minorities.
Fr Fernandes lamented that India’s democracy and Constitution are facing an unprecedented crisis today, with the independence of democratic institutions, judiciary and media coming under a serious cloud.
Fr Fernandes claimed that the lockdown by the government had been harsh and unplanned, bringing about economic devastation and destitution for millions of working poor in the country.
He said the lockdown was used to dilute and destroy laws protecting the rights of the toiling masses and the environment, facilitating the plunder of rivers, forests and land, (jal, jungle and jameen).
Citing the example of the three linear projects proposed in Mollem, Fr Fernandes said they were decided unilaterally in an undemocratic manner by the Government without consulting local communities, which would lead to the destruction of the rich biodiversity.
He also expressed his concern over the growing sectarianism where a systematic attempt to spread communal hatred and dividing people on religious lines is stage-managed.
Provincial of the Goa Jesuit Province, Fr Roland Coelho provided detailed information about the arrest of the Jesuit, Fr Stan Swamy, who is presently imprisoned at Taloja jail.
Claiming that evidence has been fabricated and his constitutional rights have been trampled upon, Fr Coelho said organisations and people across the world have criticised the incarceration of Stan Swamy.
Adv Carlos Alvares Ferreira, who formerly served as Assistant Solicitor General of India, spoke on Constitutional Rights in connection with the present scenario where human rights defenders and environmental activists were being harassed and incarcerated.
He lamented that today the rights of the people are being infringed upon and cited examples of cases where judges upheld the fundamental rights of people because of such a good Constitution.
Social and environmental activist Adv Ninio Correia highlighted the importance of the Preamble to the Constitution. Citing the three linear projects of Mollem, he opined that justice, liberty, equality and fraternity were being subverted.
