Will Never Allow Religious Conversions But People Need To Be Vigilant: Goa CM
Sawant further said that the gods and culture were destroyed during Portuguese rule
Mumbai: Goa CM Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the government will never allow religious conversions but people need to be vigilant. “The temple trusts in villages need to be vigilant, families need to be vigilant,” he added.
“Once again religion is being attacked. I’m not lying. We have seen that people in different parts of Goa are moving towards conversion. Taking advantage of different things – some poor, some minorities, some backward, some who do not have food or jobs – such people are being taken in this way. We say that by mistake, in such circumstances, there should be no religious conversion,” Sawant said.
“I am saying that such religious conversions should not take place… the government will never allow conversions to take place, but I believe the people need to awaken, the temple in each village needs to awaken, small temple communities need to awaken,” he added.
Sawant further said that the gods and culture were destroyed during Portuguese rule.
He said, “Sixty years ago people believed that if God is protected then religion is protected and if religion is saved then the country is saved, with this in mind people used to flee along with their gods here in Goa,” he said.
“But at that time, many families, families of displaced people, started trying to locate their Kul Devasthans and resumed Bhakti – the deities and culture destroyed during the Portuguese rule, those families have tried to restore it,” the chief minister added.
Emphasizing on the need to connect the youth with religion, the Goa Chief Minister said that the coming generations need to be reminded of the customs and rituals of these temples.
“At many places, we have seen the temples, but the people visit the temples only once a year, but not beyond that, but we need to remind the future generations of the rites and rituals of these temples,” he said.
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