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Proposal to raze chapel for football ground expansion in Daman triggers protests
In a tweet on Sunday, Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament on Sunday criticised the proposed demolition
A proposal to raze a centuries-old Catholic chapel for the expansion of a football ground in Daman has triggered protests. A group of Catholic priests and community members have written to Daman municipality president Sonal Patel for a rethink on the decision to demolish the Chapel of Our Lady of Angustias.
Patel said the ground where the expansion was planned belongs to the municipality and that the administration of the Union Territory has planned the revamp and not the corporation.
An official said a final call will be taken only after proper consultations. The issue came to the fore after the municipality put up the proposal before the elected wing of the civic body for the expansion of the football ground.
In a tweet on Sunday, Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament on Sunday criticised the proposed demolition. “Stop highly insensitive politicians, bureaucrats of Daman from demolishing this 500-year-old historic Church of Our Lady of Augustus — for a football field. It’s exquisite carvings represent India’s craft traditions. Heritage is not Catholic or Hindu — it’s the soul of India,” he tweeted.
Daman municipal corporation’s chief officer Arun Gupta said an architectural firm hired for the redevelopment work mooted the proposal. “The redevelopment of the ground is meant to introduce more sports like badminton and boxing and to also upgrade the facility to host sports at a national level.”
He said before the land acquisition process, a social impact assessment will be done and that the local community will be consulted.
Pramod Rana, a councilor, said the chapel is a heritage building with religious sentiments attached and hence there is some protest. He said the corporation will talk to the Christian community.
Rana said the civic body’s elected wing passed a resolution about two months back and that the demolition will only be taken after proper consultation.
A group of Christians also handed over a memorandum to all the elected councillors requesting them to stop the demolition.
