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Sanskruti Raksha Manch chief quits, blasts Sangh Parivar

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panjim

Advocate Joaquim Dias, president of the Sanskruti Raksha Manch that was leading the abortive yatra from Goa to Delhi in protest against the Pope's visit to India, today said he does not support the demand for an apology from John Paul II for the Inquisition in Goa during Portuguese rule.

The 79-year-old freedom fighter and non-practising Christian, who also announced his resignation from the SRM, lambasted the Sangh Parivar for having 'misguided' him on the issue in the name of sanskruti (culture) and misusing and misrepresenting him to further their Hindutva agenda, which he never believed in.

"Why should the Pope apologise for something he was never responsible for," said Dias, adding that it should be left to the pontiff to decide whether to express regrets for what the Church did 450 years ago. He also added that he respects John Paul II for his labour-oriented outlook.

Addressing a press briefing at his residence, the former advocate-general of Goa said he would not like to continue with the Manch. "They have done something wrong to me. I have nothing to do with them," he said, clarifying that neither he attended any meeting nor knows any members of the SRM.

According to Dias, who is bedridden owing to illness, the co-ordinator of the SRM, Professor Subhash Velingkar, requested him to head the organisation which he said had been formed to protect Indian culture. Dias agreed since he thought the objective laudable. Velingkar is the local general secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

"They then started misrepresenting me, announcing that I would be leading the yatra, which was false. Then they requested me to attend a rally addressed by Sadhvi Rithambara. But I could not keep quiet when the Bajrang Dal went to the extent of claiming that the idea of seeking an apology came from me. I think this Dal consists of all mad people," he quipped.

Dias, who was in the forefront of the Goan freedom movement and was a close associate of leading freedom fighters like Dr T B Cunha, also expressed regrets that the Manch was misusing the names of historical personalities like Dr Cunha, Menezes Braganza and Francis Luis Gomes for its campaign.

"What the Manch is doing is very different from what these great personalities believed in and worked for. Dr Cunha's famous essay, 'Denationalisation of Goans', does not speak about such things. They never believed in the Hindutva ideology," Dias asserted.

While Dias is opposed to the demand for a papal apology, he also does not support any kind of conversion from any religion. But he also does not believe that conversions are made through bribery or other corrupt practices.

"I said all these things much before the yatra began last month, when Mr Velingkar came here with a senior journalist and recorded my interview on a video cassette, stating that they would show it to the Delhi journalists. I wonder why they are delaying it," he said.

Dias appeared to be deeply pained by recent happenings because, he said, he has always believed in the Leftist ideology and worked sincerely for the uplift of the downtrodden, no matter what religion they belonged to. "Why should people misuse me when I am in this condition," he wondered.

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