HERALD: Christmas spirit hits Vasco policemen

[Should policemen be celebrating religious festivals in their stations in a secular state, which ought to have no link with religion? Or do you see this as a good means of building inter-community understanding and tolerance? Your views? FN]

Christmas spirit hits Vasco policemen

HERALD, Dec 27, 2005

HERALD CORRESPONDENT

MORMUGAO, Dec 26 -- They may be men and women in uniform and most of them may be Hindus, but that did not stop the Vasco police from celebrating the spirit of Christmas by making a crib in the police station.

The cops attiributed this unusual project to their Police Inspector Sammy Tavares. The staff involved in the crib said that PI Tavares gave his full co-operation and support to the project and also praised him for his support and co-operation during the Ganesh Chaturthi.

"Even though we had no experience in making cribs, all of us got together and completed this crib," says Constable Santosh Bhatkar. "Earlier, there was no one to guide us and few had an interest in celebrating other festivals."

Photo: The crib at the Vasco police station. Photo by Elvino Araujo