Commenting on the rising incident of communal violence in India, a top official of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India said, that Indian society, which is facing increasing incidents of communal disharmony should look to learn lessons from Goa, a state known for its communal harmony.
"Goa is a sort of a model here we have lived peacefully, in joy. We have never heard of communal tensions in Goa. People have tried and people are trying," Secretary General of the Catholics Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas said on Tuesday. Nearly one third of the state's population hail from minority communities, while Catholics account for about one fourth of the state's 1.5 million population.
Mascarenhas, who was in Goa to announce the hosting of a conclave in the coastal state to promote positive energy and countering communal violence, also said that media should not provide a platform for communal elements, who are looking to media platforms to fan their divisionism fires.
"Our people are more worried whether their child will get admission in schools, will get a good education will get a good job, will be able to live and survive. When people can't deliver those things, then all sorts of other things start. And therefore I think it is very important that we do not blow out these issues and give a lot of importance to these people who are . So the whole thing is you start a spark and if the press starts making that spark look like a big fire," Mascarenhas told The Pioneer.
"Nobody should decide what I eat. I think most Hindus are not bothered what we eat and what we don't. There are a few people who are making issues out of these things that are not issues," the Bishop also said.
The CBCI official also said that India had a long-standing tradition of peace and tolerance, but added that the country "also has a small germ, a small bacteria, which has been time and again bothering us in forms of riots, in forms of speaking divisions, spreading hatred".
The conclave will include speakers from across faiths and is aimed at promoting tolerance, respect for each other and checking communal forces, Mascarenhas said.
"But there are also a few people who are becoming more and more powerful unfortunately. Who are becoming more and more active who are destroying this peace. This initiative is the beginning of a series of initiatives across the country where we want to go," the Bishop said.
The inter-religious faith conclave, organised by the CBCI, which will be held in Goa on April 5, will host leaders from multiple faiths who will expound on the importance of tolerance, mutual respect as a means of combating communal and sectarian intolerance.