Bengaluru: It is in a Seminar/Meeting conducted by the Catholic Karnataka Kannada Priests Association (Balaga), the President of the Sahitya Parishat Pundalika Halambi, Karnataka Rakshna Vedike President Narayana gowda, Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana president and poet Dr Siddalingiah and Karnataka Catholic Christian’s Kannada Sangha Secretary Raphael Raj and others have participated.
The two prominent So-called-priests who are running/the Catholic Karnataka Kannada Priests Association (Balaga) are Ckalkere Chowrappa Selveraj [Che-Se-Ra (Cha-SelvaRaj-Tamil name)] the Parish Priest of St Josephs church in chamrajpet and Fr A Thomas, the Principal/trustee of Christ School, Marianapalya Road, Kaglipura run by Carmel Seva Sangam-Trust, Mariapura.
It is in public knowledge that the Carmel Seva Sangam-Trust which is run by the president of the Catholic Karnataka Kannada Priests Association (Balaga) Fr A Thomas, receives funds from foreign agencies called FODERVEREIN BEDEN, and ANNAPURNA FOUNDATION Germany. What is interesting is that these funding agencies are according to sources a recipient of funds from amongst others, Billy Graham Evangelist Association, P.O.Box.1270, Charlote, 28201, 1270 USA (having an Indian Bank Account No.911010024922852 in Axis Bank, Sahakaranagar Branch) and LIVING WORD FELLOWSHIP. 512, Beach Pond Road, Voluntown, CT 06381, Box, 36, USA, who directly take care of AGAPE Ministries India (having an Indian Bank Account No.15334 in Canara Bank, D’costa Square, Branch) and also PARTNER IN ASIAN MISSION, Box 531011, Birmingham, AL-35253, USA financing AGAPE Bible Fellowship(having an Indian Bank Account No.21638 in Canara Bank, D’costa Square, Branch).
The money received by the Carmel Seva Sangam-Trust which is run by Fr A Thomas, from a foreign agency called FODERVEREIN BEDEN, and ANNAPURNA FOUNDATION Germany is officially shown that it is meant for the purpose of “Education/Schools for the mentally challenged”. The usage of the foreign funds for any purpose other than what it was got/sent would amount to a violation under 3.6.1 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010(FCRA 2010) earlier Act of 1976 (FCRA 1976). I/we have already complained to the concerned authorities in this regard for a thorough investigation and necessary legal action.
The amounts that have officially flowed into their accounts from Foreign Funding agencies till 31/03/2013 is Rs.2,67,48,999.00. (Two Crore, Sixty Seven Lakhs, Forty Eight Thousand, Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine rupees).
It is a shame that those who are originally from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh who speak Tamil and Telegu in their homes are the ones who are Mis-guiding and disturbing the peace specifically in the Catholic Church in the name of protecting Kannada. Why is this not happening in Non-Catholic churches? These are the very people who are also opposing a language that has originated and is being used by people born in Karnataka, – “Konkani”. If these are people who have real concerns regarding Karnataka how can they oppose Konkani, an undisputed language of the people belonging to and born in Karnataka?
These people who are crusading for the protection of Kannada in Churches are not averse to defending the priests who are Tamilians, now in Jail for allegedly murdering Fr K J Thomas or beating up a born Kannadiga Priest Fr Jacob while he is conducting a Kannada Worship in the Hegde Nagar Church. For them Kannada is not the issue, because they are receiving funds from Non-Catholic Foreign Funding agencies only to disturb the peace in the Catholic Church, only to drive people away from the Catholic denomination to other Christian denominations.
The statement of Karnataka Rakshna Vedike President Narayana Gowda is that “Bernard Moras who has been using Food and Water provided by Karnataka, goes ahead with committing injustice to Kannada, we will have to teach him a suitable lesson”, is understandable. Because it is an open secret and a subject of discussion amongst the members of the Catholic churches in Karnataka, that Narayana Gowda addresses the Archbishop of Bangalore, Dr Bernard Moras in a singular language basically because of the very low cultural background he hails from, reflecting the true Public Social Rating and Reputation that he has in general and More so when he is only a paid speaker, who according to sources within the Catholic Karnataka Kannada Priests Association (Balaga) and the Karnataka Catholic Christian’s Kannada Sangha, as publicly revealed and discussed by the General Secretary of the Christian Catholic Sangha that during a meeting which had discussed and deliberated on the demand of Rs 5 lakhs by Narayana Gowda to participate in the Meeting, was later bargained and brought down to Rs 3 lakhs. When he is a paid speaker, he has to speak out the script given by those who employ him. But,
The President of the kannada Sahitya Parishat Pundalika Halambi saying that the Circular which permits people to pray in different languages in churches will not be permitted at any cost and that he is always there to fight and support the demands of the Kannada Christians in Karnataka, is disturbing and disgusting.
He has also made a serious allegation that a former Central Minister had telephonically threatened him and asked him not to attend the programme organised by the Catholic Karnataka Kannada Priests Association (Balaga), this is shameful to hear and sincerely deserves a stunt by the president of the Kannada Sahitya Parishath or an exposure of his lack of knowledge/courage to lodge a police complaint against the caller.
The most important question is, who is Pundalika Halambi to say he will not allow Catholic people to pray in different languages in our churches?
1. Is he a Catholic? If he is not, we welcome him to convert to Christianity before shamelessly commenting about our Religion.
Now with what moral right does he have to say we should pray only in Kannada in our churches, when he has not even bothered to whisper a single word of dissent about the usage of Sanskrit in Temples, which no one except the Poojari/Archaka Understands? (Whether the Poojari/Archaka reciting the Mantras in Sanskrit knows the meaning, God alone knows!)
2. Does Pundalika Halambi know to say the Mantras in Kannada? If he does not know, he could go to Chikkamagaluru District and learn to recite the Mantras in Kannada from the Swamiji Sri.Kannan (a Tamilian hailing from Tamil Nadu) and first make reciting of Mantras in Kannada compulsory in Temples in Karnataka, if he is really concerned about Kannada.
3. Has Pundalika Halambi read the Circular issued by the Archbishop of Bangalore? If he has not read the circular which bestows absolute prominence to Kannada in Churches and also gives first priority for services in Kannada in Catholic Churches in Karnataka, yet has chosen to speak against it, there can only be two reasons (a) He does not know to read kannada properly or (b) He is also paid for/made to speak out a written script like Narayana Gowda was made to. In that case Pundilaka has to reveal what his rate was to speak irresponsibly.
We would also like to bring to the notice of the Akhila Bharatha Kannada Sahitya Sammelana president and poet Dr Siddalingiah that while he was seated among these people on the stage, he could have tried to know their back ground, for which he could have asked Narayana Gowda a very vociferous protector of Kannada, which Kannada Medium School his children were studying Or ask the management of the National Hill View school in RajaRajeshwari Nagar.
Interestingly these protectors of Kannada want others to study in Kannada Medium School while their own wards would go to English Medium Schools. Finally the English Medium students land in companies as Officers, with salaries in the range of Rs One Lakh while the Kannada Medium students land up in the same companies as just sweepers with salaries in a range of Rs.10 thousand.
We throw open the following challenges to these so called crusaders:
1) Before speaking about the language policy in the churches, are you willing to convert yourselves Christianity? OR
2) Can you dare to start a campaign to make reciting of the Mantras compulsorily in Kannada in all the Temples in Karnataka? OR
3) Can you at least dream of going to just 10 Mosques and placing a demand for the recital of the prayers in Kannada?
Just because we are a peace loving community, you think you can get away by medaling with the affairs of the Catholic Church? We have initiated steps to get the Union Home Ministry to investigate the funds received by the Carmel Seva Sangam-Trust which is run by the president of the Catholic Karnataka Kannada Priests Association (Balaga) Fr A Thomas and also enquires have already been started to elicit the details of the funds received by Narayana Gowda and his outfit Karnataka Rakshna Vedike from State Government departments from all over the State, for subjecting the same for criminal scrutiny by the investigating agencies in the state.
Sd/-
Abraham T.J President – Indian Christian United Forum ® (ICUF)
Arun Fernandes Gen-Secretary – Federation of Konkani Catholic Assn.
Silvian Noronha President- Indiranagar Konkani Kutum
Aida Sequeira President – KONCAB
Lawrance Gen-Secretary Karnataka Kannada Christa Yuvakara Balaga
Richards President – Mudla Konkani Catholic Association
Lullus Cutinho Area Council President Vincent-Di-Paul
Alexander President – Karnataka Tamil Minority Christian Association
Dolphy President – Carmel Kutam & Vice Chairman FKCA
Aida Margaret D’Cunha Secretary – ICUF
Note: The contents/information in this report are fully submitted/furnished by ICUF, and NOT by Mangalorean.com
Nice Article