‘Plans to convert Goa into Hong Kong an insult’

Without taking names, the Catholic church in Goa has lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress for promising to convert Goa into Hong Kong.

A socio-political analysis released by the Council of Social Justice and Peace (CSJP), the social wing of the Church in Goa, has said that the idea of converting Goa into a Hong Kong, Singapore or Dubai, as promised by the Trinamool Congress in its manifesto for the assembly polls, was “an insult to the culture and identity of a Goan”.

“The campaign by some political forces to convert Goa into a Singapore/Hong Kong/Dubai or any other foreign model compromises the uniqueness of Goa,” CSJP executive secretary Fr Maverick Fernandes told reporters here Tuesday.

“Why does Goa need to be converted into some foreign model? Goa’s uniqueness is itself a model of balanced development,” he added.

The Catholic church in Goa represents more than 20 percent of the state’s 14 lakh population.

The Trinamool Congress, the first political party to release its manifesto earlier this month had promised to convert the beach tourism oriented state into a financial district on the lines of Hong Kong.

“We will invite international banks and financial institutions to set up business in Goa (Hong Kong model),” the manifesto, released by Trinamoolstate president Wilfred de Souza said.

De Souza said that the Hong Kong dream was “in sync” with Banerjee’s vision.