Shiv Sena offers to help restore church in Mumbai

The Shiv Sena has seriously taken up the task of restoring a 500-year-old Portuguese church in the western suburb of Santacruz near Sahar airport after the local Christian community approached the party.

Located within the Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (SEEPZ), the 4,000-sq ft rundown church, where worship is offered only once a year, is roofless and has walls that are crumbling down due to neglect.

"It was the duty of the SEEPZ authorities to take care of this heritage site and maintain its sanctity when the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) took over this area in 1970," Sanjay Nirupam, Rajya Sabha member and senior Sena leader told Gulf News.

"But it seems they were only interested in the commercial activity of the Zone. And when 50 to 60 local residents from the Christian community approached me, I arranged a meeting with Uddhav Thackeray, executive president of the party and son of Sena chief Bal Thackeray."

Uddhav plans to talk to SEEPZ authorities about the restoration of the church and if no steps are taken to rebuild it, "we have our own way of telling them to get on with the job", says Nirupam.

Meanwhile, the Marathi-speaking Christians of the locality, known as East Indians, from 50-60 'gaothans'‚ or ancient villages, are only too happy that the Sena has come forward to help them.

"All these years, we were told by the Congress Party that the Sena was communal and would never come to our aid, but a recent meeting with Uddhav revealed a different picture," Nicholas Almeida, former Congressman, said.

Along with Michael Ferreira, well-known billiards champion and a prominent member of the East Indian community, Almeida met Uddhav a few days back and both were impressed by the concern shown by the leader.

"Even the Archdiocese of Mumbai, which oversees all the Catholic churches in the city, has not taken any initiative. On the contrary, Nirupam plans to raise the issue in the Rajya Sabha and ask Union Tourism Minister Jag Mohan to come and visit the site."

Mumbai's Mayor Mahadeo Deole, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, will also be visiting the site with members of the Heritage Committee of the municipal body.

Almeida says the St John the Baptist Church was one of the first churches to be built in Mumbai by the Portuguese, who were then in control of the city, in 1540.

Villagers from the gaothans‚ in the vicinity attended service regularly until the plague of 1840 when fear and anxiety made the locals shift to another spot where the present St John the Evangelist church stands in Marol.

The main altar, some pillars and statues were taken from the abandoned church leaving only a crucifix behind. "The church was then intact," says Almeida." Later, it was included in the Customs-notified area in SEEPZ and was closed for outsiders.

According to the Catholic Directory of the Archdiocese of Mumbai, 1982, "The property containing a picturesque lake and the ruined church was acquired by the government for SEEPZ. The SEEPZ authorities intend to preserve the ruined church as a historical monument."

Almeida now feels that the MIDC's apathetic attitude is apparent in the way it has set up a power sub-station in the church premises whilst a gems and jewellery unit has come up over the grave yard.

"This was the church of our forefathers and we want it restored," he says stubbornly even as he is relieved by the Sena's offer to restore the church.