A 40-year-old Christian prayer hall in Mangaluru was demolished reportedly by “unidentified miscreants” on Saturday. The Christian prayer hall was also used as an Anganawadi at Urudady Gudde in Panjimogaru, and its demolition has triggered outrage among the Christian community in the city.

According to a report in The New Indian Express, Roy Castelino, PRO, Mangalore Diocese, said the prayer hall was built on 585 sq ft land more than 40 years ago and was managed by the St Antony Building Committee formed by local people of the area. He showed mediapersons documents that stated that this property was in dispute between the Committee and Women and Child Welfare Department (WCD) and it was the latter who had sought its demolition.

However, on January 28, the Fourth Additional Civil Judge and JMFC Court, Mangaluru, had “restrained the defendants from demolishing any structure or building existing in the suit properties, without following due process of law, till the disposal of the interlocutory application. The next hearing of the case is on February 14,” stated the news report.

According to Castelino, some “unauthorised persons started chopping the trees in the prayer hall premises” and the church officials, fearing that those people may also demolish the prayer hall, lodged a complaint with the Kavoor police station. Castelino alleged that the police did not respond to it and on Saturday, “around 11 am when the majority of the people living in the prayer hall surroundings had gone out for work, some unidentified miscreants demolished the prayer hall using a backhoe. Some women recorded the demolition on their cellphones” he recalled. 

A 40 year old St Antony Holy Cross prayer hall at kuloor (Mangalore) has been completely demolished using JCB by miscreants. Another day another horror. pic.twitter.com/nP0vj5LvQM

— Undefeated_Faith (@Shaad_Bajpe) February 6, 2022

He has termed it “a clear case of contempt of court and added that they will file a police complaint over the incident”. According to TNIE the Deputy Commissioner of police KV Rajendra told the media that a report from the Deputy Director of Women and Child Welfare Department has been sought. He said, “I received a complaint in this regard after the structure was demolished. Preliminary reports suggest it had gone to PRED (Panchayat Raj Engineering Department) to construct an Anganwadi. But it is not clear who demolished it. I have asked to check whether there was no court stay against demolition and whether the Anganwadi could have been constructed sparing the prayer hall.”

According to a report in the Daijiworld portal, members of the Shri Satya Korddabbu Seva Samithi, allegedly violated the stay order from the court, entered the compound of the prayer centre, and demolished the building, compound wall, and trees. A complaint has been filed by St Anthony Holy Cross Building Committee president Antony Prakash Lobo, Cyprian D’Souza, Francis Pinto, and Valerian Lobo against Shri Satya Korddabbu Seva Samithi at Kavoor police station stated the news report.

“The court has given a stay, preventing illegal entry to our property and harming our building. The deputy commissioner has also issued a stay. But, the opposite party has illegally entered our property and demolished our compound wall and trees inside our compound. They have also prepared invitation cards to organise first-year Nemotsava inside our compound,” stated the complainants adding, “We have been living in this compound for the past 40 years and the city corporation authorities have given us a door number. We had also allowed to run Anganwadi for free. We have always been in favour of peace. But, the opposite party wants to disrupt peace and has done this.”

Daijiworld quoted Antony Prakash Lobo who said, “St Anthony Holy Cross Prayer Centre which is a part of the St Antony Church of Kulur has been functioning for the past 40 years. The city corporation has provided electricity and water. We had allowed the Anganwadi for children here without any charges. The civil dispute matter is in the court. The order copy has been submitted to the deputy commissioner and police commissioner. The local public is claiming that they want to build a ‘Daivastana’ here. Though there is a stay from the court, they have demolished the prayer center. We used to celebrate all festivals along with Anganwadi children.”

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The Sonitput district administration in Assam carried out an eviction drive and demolished 25 hutments in areas of Dighali Chapori, eastern part of Laletapu, Bharali Chapori, Bhoirabi and Batiamari. These hutments belonged to settlers who had allegedly encroached upon government land.

Assam has vast swathes of land that fall in a flood-prone riverine region. Sonitpur district itself is located along the Brahmaputra’s banks. It is common for river erosion to wash away entire villages, forcing people to relocate. Often these displaced people end up building temporary shelters and huts on government land and the administration then evicts them in drives carried out from time to time. 

The administration had carried out eviction drives at Dighali Chapori, eastern part of Laletapu, Bharali Chapori, Bhoirabi and Batiamari three times last year, reported The Sentinel. As per The Sentinel, a team of civil administration under the lead of Naduar Revenue Circle Officer Akashdeep Kakaty along with Jamuguri police team and a troop of CRPF visited the site and carried out the eviction drive.

However, it is pertinent to note here that these evictions took place even as Covid cases rapidly increase in the state every day. Sontipur itself has seen more than 200 cases. Therefore, the decision to carry out such evictions and demolitions, neither indicates good administration, nor is it in line with Covid norms where people are being asked to stay home.

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The Azamgarh district administration has demolished a part of the 70-year-old Darsgah Islami School in Muslim-dominated Chaand Patti village on court orders. According to a news report in the India Tomorrow portal, this has created a near crisis for over 600 students, mostly girls.

According to the news report, even though the school is named as ‘Darsgah Islami’, it has a modern education syllabus and also imparts religious education. It is a co-educational institution till class five, and class six till class 10, it is an all-girls school. The demolished section of the school includes five classrooms, and a two-storeyed library. The library was named Maulana Abullais Islahi Library, after the former Ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), stated the news report.

The demolition has left 12 classrooms ‘still intact’ but they too are reported to be rendered unfit for use now, as all of them have been badly damaged when the adjacent rooms and the library were demolished. The India Tomorrow portal stated that Maulana Azeem Falahi, who manages the Darsgarh, has said that the “school was launched from a hut in 1950 to fulfill the educational requirement-religious as well as modern-of the local children”. It eventually grew and moved into the pucca building, constructed of steel and concrete from donations, on a piece of land donated by the local villagers.

According to the news report, “during ‘chakbandi’ or land consolidation exercise in Uttar Pradesh in 1971, the school management requested the revenue department officials to allot some land for expansion of the school”. The officials made available about 3,000 square feet of land adjoining the Darsgah, however, mentioned it as a “sports ground” in their government records. At the time school management did not go into the allotment details and went ahead with the construction of additional buildings and also built a library on this portion of the land. 

It was in 2016, when a man named Mohammed Ali, a resident of the village, who was living in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra, returned and reportedly joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. He then moved the Allahabad High Court, and sought the removal of the school building and the library that was constructed over the ‘sports ground’. The news portal reported that the HC then referred the matter to Sagari Tehsil, under whose jurisdiction the village is on, and the ‘tehsildar’ or the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), however, gave the verdict in favour of the school.

However, Mohammed Ali challenged the SDM’s verdict in the court of Azamgarh district magistrate (DM) who in October 2019 decided against the school. Meanwhile, added to the news report, the local authorities avoided demolition of the school building. Mohammed Ali then moved the Allahabad High Court, seeking implementation of the DM’s verdict. The school management had also sought a stay on the DM’s order but the HC rejected it.

The school management held several meetings involving elders of the village who tried to convince Mohammed Ali to not insist on the demolition and withdraw his case. Even the local MLA Vandana Singh tried to intervene and the local religious leader, Maulana Falahi even offered to exchange the sports ground with an equal portion of his own land in the village. However, Mohammed Ali rejected the offer and stuck to his demand that the school building be demolished.

Fifteen days ago, Mohammed Ali secured a contempt of court order issued against the SDM for “dilly-dallying in removing ‘encroachment’ from the sports ground”. Then the SDM then got the portion of the school building demolished.  

The news reported, added that even after that the teaching work has not stopped, and a few villagers have offered their houses to  be converted into classrooms for now.

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The Manipur Forest Department demolished houses built in the reserved forest area in Imphal West in an eviction drive last week on Friday, April 24, cited various media reports.

Three houses were demolished after evicting the residents. According to the forest department, the evicted people had encroached upon reserved forest land and illegally constructed three houses at Compartment Number V, Khabam Block at the Langol Reserved Forest area of Macheng village, Lamlongei, Imphal West.  

Evicted three houses at Macheng Village,Lamlongei,Mantripukhri,Imphal East during Nationwide Lockdown due to Covid-19 Pandemic by Central Forest Division,Imphal on24/04/2020. pic.twitter.com/eIPmHZBHK6

— Athuii Panmei (@AthuiiPanmei) April 25, 2020

Speaking to the media, Divisional Forest Officer, Central Division, RK Amarjit Singh, informed that the villagers had been given prior information six months ago to stop constructing new houses but they did not cooperate.

A press release by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and HoFF, Kereilhouvi Angami, a regular patrolling team of Central Forest Division had detected the unauthorized constructions and stopped the constructions. The statement read, “However, taking the advantage of the lockdown due to Covid-19 epidemic and while the frontline staffs were fully engaged in controlling and fighting forest fires at different places, the encroacher started the constructions.”

The statement also said that encroachment, including illegal construction inside the Reserved Forests, violates provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, Manipur Forest Rules, 1971 and instructions of the Central Government.  

Press release from Principal Chief Conservator of Forest pic.twitter.com/mNzcursJSd

— Directorate of Information & Public Relations (@DiprManipur) April 24, 2020

The police had served a deadline to the members of the now evicted homes on April 21 stating that if they failed to do so, the demolition would be carried out on April 24.

According to The Morning Bell, A team which included the DFO of Central Forest Division RK Amarjit and his staffs, Imphal East Executive Magistrate, Addl. SP, SDPO Imphal East, women police personnel and additional security personnel arrived at Lamlongei Macheng at around 8.30 am. They noticed that residents of the village had blocked the road and upon seeing them they started shouting their objections to the move to dismantle the structures as well as insisting them to take their lives as well.

In order to stop the villagers from impeding the execution of the court’s directive, the executive magistrate Imphal East and DFO Amarjit gave a sincere explanation to the leaders of the village on the purpose of carrying out the eviction drive and afterwards the executive magistrate issued a warning that all of them return to their houses within five minutes as curfew was in effect on account of the lockdown account of Covid-19 pandemic. However, their efforts to convince the villagers failed and the latter continued to block the road.

The crowd was finally dispersed after police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets at them as an exigency after which the demolition of three illegally constructed houses were carried out. The police personnel was hurt from the projectile of a catapult fired from the village.

However, what is questionable that the police evicted the people from their homes amid the lockdown without making alternate arrangements for them during this lockdown. Apart from this, the police excesses that the villagers were subjected to, is also questionable as even at this time, it has come to light that the authorities show no empathy for the underprivileged. What was the hurry to go ahead with the eviction and who ordered for it at such a sensitive time?

Mani Gangmei, Chairman of the village, had appealed to the state government to provide alternate accommodation for the evicted members as the time given to them was too short a notice considering the lockdown in the state.  

There has been no update on alternative accommodation for those evicted, probably leaving them stranded during the lockdown with nowhere to go.

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Even as the lockdown goes on throughout India to curb the spread of the coronavirus, forest dwellers seem to have no respite from authorities. On April 24, the forest department demolished the homes of 32 tribal families in the district of Kalahandi, Odisha, reported Gaon Connection. Now over 90 people living in these 32 homes are bereft food and shelter and have no respite from the harsh summer sun. They now live under the mahua tree and eat whatever they get from it.

Speaking to the publication, Sudhir Manjhi, a tribal from the Nehla village in Sagda Gram Panchayat said, “We neither have a place to stay, nor anything to eat. All of our hens and goats have gone away. When the officials came to demolish the homes, all the men had gone to a nearby village to attend a funeral. When we returned in the evening, our homes had disappeared. We are now living under the mahua tree with little children. I don’t know where we will go when it rains.”

Rich with bauxite mines, Sagda is about 15 kms from Kalahandi, the district headquarters of Nehla and the village us near the Khandul Mali forest area. 

Speaking to Sabrang India, Mr. Prafulla Samantara, President of Lokshakti Abhiyan and Green Nobel Prize Winner who has been fighting for tribal rights for decades, said, “On April 24, homes of around 30 tribal families who had settled in the forest area for the past six months were demolished. Their homes in their original villages had been demolished. They had been demanding to be rehabilitated for the past two years and there was a dialogue between them and authorities but their demands were not heeded. So, six months back they settled in another village in the forest area because they are forest dwellers after all. Talks for their resettlement were going on, but the lockdown was imposed and taking the advantage of the lockdown, the forest department they dared to go and bull dozed the homes of these tribals and left them under the sun.”

Samantara further explained, “The next day, an advocate who went there with a news crew was also humiliated by the police. After this, I got the news and I wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary, Odisha about the incident. Meanwhile, the Forest Department of Odisha and DFO wrote on Twitter that the villagers were encroaching upon forest land by felling trees and setting fire inside Sagada PRF. I wrote to them saying that they are tribals and have every right to settle every forest. This isn’t the time to raze down homes and their consent should have been taken before it was done. They had homes in villages like Makhaguda and Nehala which the forest department claims, but those homes had been destroyed two to three years ago.”

Highlighting the plight of the hapless tribals he said, “When people are asked to stay at home during the lockdown, how did you compel them to stay in the sun? Now after all this hue and cry we raised, the officials say that the tribals were helped to shift back to their native villages and were given PDS ration and Rs. 1,000. I don’t know how true this is but this they should’ve got earlier, even before this incident happened. Today, an FIR has been filed in the matter. I just have a few questions. One, this is against the lockdown guidelines, so how could the forest officials do such a thing? Second, who gave orders for this?” 

In light of the same, activists condemned the razing of these tribals homes by forest officials. In a press statement issued by Jan Jagran Abhiyan on April 26, they wrote, “It is matter of shocking incident that 32 tribal families’ thatched houses have been smashed in village Sagada, Bhabanipatna Block in Khandualmali forest area, Kalahandi district of Odisha on 24th April by the forest department. During Lockdown period and in midsummer the tribals along with their children are forced to stay under the sky without food and water.”

Jan Jagran Abhiyan also said in its statement that an activist who went to enquire about the incident was manhandled by the police. They said, “On 25th April When Sidharth Nayak,senior Advocate and social Activist who is fighting these tribal rights and rehabilitation since 3 years, reached to inquired on the way near Sagada village where tribals houses were demolished, the tribals were sitting under the open sky, women were busy in cooking food on the open sunlight, in that time forest officer came to the spot with bamboo wooden sticks in hand rushed to him started abusing with filthy languages and detained for 3hr,they took away his cell phone and Some important documents. Then he recovered his phone but his important document not yet they returned.” 

They also quoted Mr. Prafulla Samantara, as saying, “As the officials did the unlawful and inhuman act against tribal’s and forced the people to break physical distance to prevent Corona pandemic, the concerned officials should be suspended immediately and the victim’s be rehabilitated with houses and livelihood and proper compensation. We are waiting to see action to be taken with immediate inquiry.”

Narendra Mohanty, State Convener, INSAF, Odisha, said, “While the government is asking people to remain inside home, this seems it has been done due to the pressure of mining lobby in South Odisha , mostly Vedanta, and Birla with OMC behind, driving away tribal people from their ancestral land to do loot Bauxite mining from these mountains.”

Pradeep Sahu, Senior Leader of Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD Odisha) who had four decades of experience working with for the rights of tribals and their rehabilitation too condemned the state attack on tribals. He says that forest officials have no right to demolish the homes of tribals and according to the FRA Act 2005, their act is a violation of human rights as they demolished the houses without any prior notice.

Yash Meghwal, spokesperson of the Tribal Army too condemned the action of the forest officials. He said that displaced Adivasis were living under appalling conditions and that the government must take note and safeguard their fundamental rights.

Madhusudan Sethi, President of the Jan Jagran Abhiyan said, “It is inhuman and illegal. When it is the pandemic time and Covid regulation is in vogue, how and who ordered for forcible evictions of the 32 tribals’ family in violations of Forest Right Act.? The Forest Officers should be suspended. The victims’ houses should be rebuilt by the inhumane forest staff and Government those have demolished it.”

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Image Courtesy: edexlive.com

Activists from the right-wing organization Bajrang Dal on Thursday last week staged a protest at Simrol police station in Indore claiming that a Lord Hanuman temple on the campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Indore had been removed without consultation of the locals, reported The Free Press Journal.

Today, there is a gym at the site of the shrine.

Activists claim that the shrine had been removed in 2017 without any genuine reason and staged a demonstration claiming that an old Hanuman temple was located under a peepal tree on the IIT Indore campus. BJP’s Shivrajsingh Chauhan was chief minister of the state at the time.

The villagers of Simrol too seem to have been angered by this and support the Bajrang Dal. Villagers claim that the temple was over 200 years old and that the administration should have consulted the panchayat before breaking down the shrine.

Saying that what the locals claim to be a temple was just another village shrine, a student, on the condition of anonymity, told the paper, “It was a shrine with a deity under a tree that the villagers had been worshipping for as long as they can remember. The major complaint they have is that the administration did not bother to even inform the local panchayat or the villagers before they demolished their place of worship.”

Activists furnished photographic evidence of the shrine, demanding that a First Information Report (FIR) be filed against those who broke down the temple and hurt the sentiments of the Hindus saying that people used to go to the temple for worship when the campus had not come up.

“The temple should be re-established and FIR should be registered who got the shrine removed,” Bajrang Dal city general secretary Devendra Anjana demanded.

Some student bodies also stand with the locals in their allegations. Speaking to EdexLive, National representative and Coordinator of Research Scholars of India, Nikhil Gupta, who had spearheaded the movement for higher stipends for researchers last year, said that he would want to visit the campus and help the locals be heard. “Considering the allegations of the villagers, I believe that no institution especially one that is run by the Government of India should offend the religious feelings or considerations of the society. The details surfaced so far strongly suggest that the locals were not even consulted before doing this. The institution should make amends and construct a grand temple to mend relations with the locals,” said Nikhil.

Bajrang Dal activists also claimed that they had previously filed complaints with the district administration and the CSP but no action had been taken in the matter.

The religion spin

Claiming that the students had given them this information, villagers claimed that the contractors who built the gym that now stands at the site of the shrine, were Muslims. Though this may have nothing to do with the issue, the simple admission that the shrine was built by Muslims, is bound to give this matter a religious spin. Given how Muslims have been targeted and singled out for every matter by right-wing fanatics, it is possible that this simple administrative issue could also take a religious twist.

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Image Courtesy: Pinterest

Gandhians, last week, were stunned to learn that the Government was planning to take over the Sabarmati Ashram. Painstakingly built over the last 70 years, the plan is to take over it with our without government grants. Sabarmati Ashram, known as Gandhi Ashram as well as Harijan Ashram, was set up in 1917 on a barren land between a jail and a crematorium.

Alleging that the Government is eying what is now prime property, Gandhians point out that the ashram was set up on barren land and was home to Gandhi between 1917 and 1930. Not all Gandhian institutions have been receiving grants from the Government either.

The Sabarmati Ashram was served a notice informing the trustees and the 200 and odd inmates that the Government was preparing to give them ‘handsome compensation’ and apartments for ceding control of the institutions and the land. The Central Government has decided to move the families to an apartment building on the periphery of the campus. The Government, the notice assured, planned to transform the Ashram into a fitting ‘world class’ memorial to the Mahatma.

On Sunday, the residents of the Sabarmati Ashram or ‘Harijan Ashram’ passed a resolution stating that they would resist any move by the trust or the State Government to shift them. Tushar Gandhi, the great grandson of the Mahatma tweeted “Stop the devious attempt by the government to take over Sabarmati Ashram”.

Since September 19, a few trusts running on the premises of the Ashram have received notices saying that a high-powered committee of the Central Government requires the trusts to hand over all the land and properties to the civic body or the Gujarat government.

Why the Outrage

NarendraModi, as chief minister of Gujarat, had got a convention centre named after the Mahatma built at a cost of ₹200 Crore. The glitzy ‘Mahatma Mandir’, as the art and convention centre is known, has now been handed over to a hospitality group, which runs a chain of luxury hotels, to operate.

Now the same government, which failed to run the art-cum-convention centre, is planning to take over Gandhian Trusts and land to have another shot at a ‘world class’ centre. Media reports suggest that Gujarat Government signed a 20-year contract with the hospitality major, Leela Group, and handed over the prime property opposite the secretariat.

It is hardly a coincidence that the Leela Group is also constructing a 300-room luxury hotel which would tower over the redeveloped Gandhinagar Railway Station next to Mahatma Mandir.

A petition to stop the government from invading Gandhi Ashram’s houses of historic value and to preserve the autonomy of the trust over the Government.

The petition rues that the trustees who are supposed to preserve the values and physical structures of the Ashram are not practicing the same when it comes to preserving the autonomy of the Ashram and preserving its heritage value.

A senior ashram resident, who did not wish to be identified, said, “No trustee of the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Harijan Ashram Trust, Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala Trust, or KhadiGramodhyogPrayogSamiti had informed us of such a takeover bid.”

The attempt of the Government to commercialize such a heritage moment is a move contradictory to his ideals of simplicity and austerity. Wonder what the Mahatma would have to say about this!

Sign the petition here.
 

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This was followed by protests by Muslims of Hyderabad and even local MLA from AIMIM visited the spot and offered the afternoon namaz at the demolished site with the resident Muslims of Amberpet.

Activists and leader of political party Majlis Bachao Tehrek (MBT) say that the masjid and the Ashoor Khana are wakf property and. The state has to protect Wakf properties and not destroy them.

However in this case the GHMC paid a compensation of 6 crores to some people who claimed that the land was theirs. These ‘private players’ had allegedly encroached the land and then forged the papers of the properties in their names and claimed the compensation from GHMC.

But as per the original records and the gazette notification No 24-B this property on which stood the Masjid and the Ashoor khana belonged to the Wakf board. Some representatives of the Wakf Board came forward to complain that the property was indeed that of the Wakf Board.

The Muslim youth with help from some local leaders tried to build a shed like structure to continue to offer prayers there but the police prevented the same and there was even violence between the police, the protesting youth and other fringe elements from the Hindutva brigade who pelted stones to prevent the construction of the Masjid.

Some arrests have been made by the police wherein youth from the Muslim community and the Hindu community have been booked for assaulting the police and for promoting enmity between different religious groups respectively.

Md Azharuddin, former cricket captain and congress leader in a press conference demanded investigation into the matter and re-construction of the 200 year old masjid which is a heritage property and should have been saved.

No leaders from the ruling party Telangana Rasthra Samithi (TRS) or even Muslim leaders from TRS have come forward to talk about the demolition of the Masjid.

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have submitted representation to the Home Minister, Shri Mohammed Mehmood Ali to take immediate action and investigate into the matter and order for the reconstruction of the Masjid.

In their representation released to the press, the IUML have also brought to the notice of the Home  Minister other incidents of injustice and violence against Muslim in Telangana State such as the stopping of fruit merchants in Jagtyal from offering prayers in the premises of market, custodial death of Abdul Manan, a cloth merchant from Uttar Pradesh in the police station of Warangal district of Telangana state. The IUML have demanded the TRS government to be secular and take action against the atrocities on the Muslim minorities instead of being silent. The silence of the present government sends the message that they are anti-Muslim.

There is a strong police patrolling at Amberpet now where the Masjid ek Khana stood as it is the month of Ramzan.

Post protests and demands from Muslims the Home minister has assured that the masjid will be reconstructed but there is stiff opposition from the BJP MLA and his supporters.

Courtesy: Two Circle

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished a 122-year-old cross in suburban Bandra on the order of the Bombay High Court directing the civic body to remove unauthorized religious structures-the demolition of the cross has now evoked sharp reactions from the Christian community, with the Bombay Catholic Sabha terming the action as an “insult” to the community. The HC had recently ordered removal of as many as 32 temples and 6 crosses from H west ward, which fall under ‘B’ Category. But as per Christian activists the matter will be legally pursued by the Archdiocese of Bombay, and presently makeshift cross has been installed on the site in an effort to offer reassurance to worshipers.

According to Fr Nigel Barrett, spokesman for the archdiocese of Bombay who said, “A notice by Sharad Ughade, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, pertains to a 2010 PIL pending before the Bombay HC, which relates to structures on public property but this was invalid since the cross which was demolished was on private land. Ughade was met with documentary evidence by the owner and community organizations, who had replied in time to the BMC notice. The matter will be pursued legally since the cross was demolished despite this. This move by BMC is an insult to our religion”.

Dolphy D’souza-the Former President of the Bombay Catholic Sabha; Former National Vice-President- All India Catholic Union; and spokesperson for SOUL-Save Our Land, and also convener of Police Reforms Watch speaking to Team Mangalorean over the phone said, ” Mumbai civic body Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) decision to demolish a cross at Bandra in Mumbai has sparked controversy. Members of the Christian community in the area allege there is selective action by the civic body, demand action against the Assistant Municipal Commissioner who carried out the act and want Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to intervene over the issue.”

“The cross was on a private property and not on any public or disputed property-so it should be restored to its original place. There are photographs and evidence to prove that the cross has been there at the particular place since 1895, and the court order which says illegal religious structures should be removed from public places should not apply to this structure since it is on a private land. Though the residents have provided evidence to the civic body officials, it has not been taken into considerations and the razing of the structure by BMC is an ‘unjust’ act. A formal complaint has been given by the residents at the local police station, and an FIR is registered over the issue. A massive protest rally is planned for tomorrow, where we request the Christians to join in large numbers, so that justice is served in this regard” added D’souza.

Images Courtesy: Mangolerean.com

In the meantime, sources from BMC reveal that the Category B structures are the ones which did interfere with the DP (Development Plan) of the city. The letters of the court order were sent to the concerned people and they were requested to remove these religious structures. Also, a meeting was arranged with the representatives of the religious structures along with local councilors. During the meeting, the court order was explained and another request was made to remove the unauthorized religious structures. Accordingly, six temples were found to be removed by themselves. On April 29 a temple and the cross, which were on the road and obstructing traffic movement, were removed. Action will continue in the next week on remaining structures of ‘B’ Category. Police has been providing good support to BMC in this regard.

However, Rita D’sa of Bombay Catholic Sabha termed the demolition of the 19th century cross as an “insult” of the Christian community. “This PIL (in the high court) only relates to religious structures on public property. The notice issued has no application to the said Holy Cross since it was constructed on a private property,” D’sa claimed. The court had directed that all illegal religious structures that have come up after September 29, 2009 should be demolished. A May 2011 Government Resolution (GR) had divided illegal religious structures into various categories. Category B pertains to illegal shrines that interfere with the city’s development plan.

Images Courtesy: Mangolerean.com

Also Read Related Statement Released and sent to the Municipal Commissioner, Mumbai and the Police Commissioner, Mumbai.
*WE DEMAND ARREST OF SHRI SHARAD UGADE, ASSISTANT MUNICIPAL COMMISSIONER H WEST WARD, BMC, FOR BLASPHEMY.*
On behalf of the entire Christian Community, we hereby register our strongest protest and displeasure against the Assistant Municipal Commissioner Shri Sharad Ughade, who has illegally and deliberately by taking law in his own hands with the help of Staff of H West Ward, BMC along with Police Protection from Bandra West Police Station intentionally demolished the Holy Cross ( erected in or about 1895) with a Bulldozer with an intent to damage/defile the place of worship which is held sacred by Christians thereby insulting the religion of Christians with clear knowledge by doing so he and others would insult the Christian Community.
– The said Holy Cross is situated on a private land being Plot No.38 situate at C.S. No.A/650 near D’monte Street and Bazar Road, Bandra West Mumbai 400 050.
-The notice issued on 26th April 2017 Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sharad Ughade gives reference to Public Interest Litigation No.104 of 2010 pending Hon’ble Bombay High Court. This PIL only relates to religious structures on public property. As such the notice in question issued to the said Holy Cross had no application to the said Holy Cross since same is constructed on a private property. The Owner /the Community Organizations had written/replied few days to the said notice and even met Shri Sharad Ughade with documentary evidence including Revenue Plan/Property Card and explained the legal position.
– However, today (29 April 2017) at about 10.30 am Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sharad Ughade along with staff of H/West Ward along with Police Officials arrived at the site, but the locals vehemently opposed the said illegal and deliberate demolition but Shri Ugade was adamant even quoted that “Humne EK Mandir Toda Hai to ek Cross bhi todna padega”. Thereafter Sharad Ughade along with staff of H/West Ward along with Police Officials demolished the said Holy Cross. ( photographs attached )
– This is nothing but blasphemy. An outrageously ridiculous reasoning which not only defies law of land but does not appeal to reason. This wanton and deliberate action on the part of Sharad Ughade and H/West Staff.
– How can a responsible Public Servant make such an irresponsible statement in full public view. This statement by Shri Ugade has been knowingly made by him disobeying the law thereby caused injury to the members of the Christian Community.
-This is record that one Kaka Shidu Maske, AMC had filed a detailed Affidavit in Writ Petition No.2063 of 2002, giving therein detailed list of alleged illegal religious structures and shrines, wherein 67 such structures have been then noticed by BMC in H/West Ward, but nowhere the Holy Cross mentioned above and which has been demolished today figures. it cannot figure for the simple reason that the said Holy Cross was on private property.
– As such we kindly request you to immediately file an FIR against Sharad Ughade and H/West Staff and also request hon’ble Municipal Commissioner to suspend Sharad Ughade and H/West Staff, who have conspired with each other with common intention and offence be registered under Sections, 34, 120B, 166, 295, 298, 425, 441 and 506 of IPC.
-We are alive of the facts that some local Politicians will now rush to the hon’ble Chief Minister to smooth the ruffled feathers.
– We hereby demand that the cost of re-erection of this Holy Cross may be recovered from the salary of Sharad Ughade and concerned H/West Staff.
– IN CASE OF YOUR FAILURE TO TAKE ACTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW, WE WILL BE CONSTRAINED TO TAKE FURTHER ACTIONS AS DEEMED FIT.
– Bombay Catholic Sabha (Rita D’Sa)
– Save Our Land (Dolphy D’Souza/Greg Pereira/Stanley Fernandez.com)
– Watchdog Foundation (Nicholas Almeida/Godfrey)
– Bombay East Indian Association (Adv. Vivian D’Souza)

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