Dili Diaries - 2: Blood of the Martyrs

Timor Leste is a land of martyrs, women and children targeted first, and over a period political opponents, freedom fighters and young men were killed mercilessly between 1980 - 2000. Whereas the Santa Cruz massacre at the cemetery in Dili is the most well-known one, it is the massacre at the church of Our Lady at Covalima that touched me a lot during my stay in Timor-Leste.

This place had seen the massacre of over 150 people and 3 Priests in and around the old church by Indonesian army and the militia supported by them on 6, Sept 1999. The bloodied past became the seat of faith. I am so humbled to be at Suai.

On the fateful day, fearing the militia, people from the villages had gathered in the church, to support each other, to console one another as many relatives had been killed or imprisoned, and to pray to God. But the attackers shot people inside the church, women and children, as they ran out. Priests (2 Jesuits and one diocesan) were killed when they were getting the people out through the side door to the back of the church. Inside of the church gives a barren look now. See pictures.

The memorial with the bamboos was the place initially the bloodied bodies were kept. And the old church where the massacre took place is on its background. There are 3 smaller memorials on the spots where the priests fell to the ground. One of them is in the picture below.

The general and leaders who led the massacre were condemned and were tried for "action against humanity" by Indonesia and were acquitted. Yes, you read it right, "acquitted". Church services are being held at the new Church as the older one was to be turned to be a monument or a museum in memory. But hasn't taken shape. Year 2023 will remain as one of my most cherished Paschal celebrations, which I spent at Covalima.

Rule by Extortion err.... Subscription

There is a tradition of collecting donation which is equivalent to "subscription" as it is usually equally shared between families or individuals to celebrate the Durga Puja (Festival of Goddess Durga) in West Bengal. However, it is not an uncommon sight to see several youngsters, standing with sticks to collect money forcefully from vehicles that ply on the road that is closer to them. There had been even fights, vehicles running over these extortionists resulting in deaths, and traffic jam that results from this show of muscle power. Things have not changed. Now, practically for every celebration you could be stopped. The other day, my motor cycle was stopped in a village asking for this "extortionist" money for the Kali Puja (festival of Kali, celebrated in Bengal on the same day as Deepawali). I paid 10 rupees couple of days ago for the Muslim festival of Muharram which is still ten days away, and got a bill for five rupees with hardly anything to indicate that this will be used for any social or religious purpose. (I can't understand the reasoning for inheriting a bad tradition from anyone.) I have seen children stopping vehicles to collect money for celebrating Goddess of Wisdom (Saraswati Puja), and have paid three times in the same village at a distance of 200 meters each. How can wisdom dawn on children who bunk school and collect money to make merry at the cost of others! How can West Bengal develop if our youth are found to be splurging in money that is not theirs?  

Are we heading for an anarchist society? Have matters of faith have been transferred into issues of merry-making? Has the concept of donation has been taken away and extortion has replaced it? With the kind of rods and sticks these people wield around, all that one can do it, wait for the next election and press the button against the existing leading political party, and keep silent about all issues, most of the times.