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Ahead of an annual tribal fair set to be held by the Christian community on Sunday in Tapi, a memorandum was served to District Collector Vipin Garg by the Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti, a right-wing outfit, seeking cancellation of the permission for the event. The fair is set to be held at Mother Mary temple at a hillock in the Songadh taluka of Tapi district on Sunday morning.
Speaking with The Sunday Express, inspector Yogesh Sirsath said, “We have deployed police staff at Jharali village and at the site where the fair is being organised. We have taken statements from some of the villagers of Jharali village and neighbouring villages and found that they have been organising a fair on the first Sunday of February. Not only Christians but Hindu tribals also come to the fair from nearby villages. We are trying to reach Magan Vasava, the Tapi district president of Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samithi, and secretary Pilajibhai Gamit, and found they are untraceable.”
He further added, “We have not received any instructions about the cancellation of such a fair from administrative authorities.”
Tapi district’s Christian community leader Haresh Gamit said, “For the last 25 years, on the first Sunday of February, the annual fair is being organised by us and a large number of people attend the fair and offer prayers. The holy priests will address the gathering on Sunday morning, and later religious lectures are given by others which continue till 11 am. The attendees later climb the hillock, and reach Mother Mary church pray and return to the basement. Meal arrangements have also been made. Children also come to the fair, which goes on till 5 pm.”
As per the Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samiti memorandum, the hillock is known to be linked to the tribal goddess Kani Kansari, and many tribals used to visit her temple. The church came up later, the group claimed, alleging that Hindu tribals were being influenced. Akhil Bhartiya Sant Samithi president Magan Vasava and secretary Pilajibhai Gamit could not be reached despite repeated comments.
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