Catholic priest who fought land sharks in Vasai dies

By Jose Kavi

New Delhi, July 26, 2024: A Catholic priest, who had gone beyond his priestly duties to fight illegal land grabbers and promote peace and communal harmony even at risk to his safety, died July 25 after a prolonged illness.

Father Francis D’Britto of the western Indian Vasai diocese was known for his involvement in public movements such as the Harit (green) Vasai initiative to promote environmental sustainability and green practices.

The death occurred at his home in Vasai, some 60 km north of Mumbai. He was 81.

He was born December 4, 1942, to Marathi-speaking parents, in Girij, a tiny Vasai village.

After studies in St. Pius, a Goregaon seminary, he was ordained a priest on December 23, 1972, for the Bombay archdiocese. He had also served as the spokesperson for Vasai diocese in the 2000s.

He was posted in Vasai in 1983. After studying the socioeconomic and political conditions of the area, he launched in 1988 Harit (green) Vasai Movement to protect the environment and small farmers from powerful land developers who were grabbing the farmers´ land.

Two years earlier, the Maharashtra government had rezoned about 25,000 hectares of land in the Vasai-Virar “green belt,” for residential use.

He had formed the environmental protection committee to counter the plan that he termed as “builder driven” to destroy Vasai’s green zone.

A year after Harit Vasai was formed it staged a rally of 35,000 people. By 1992, it mustered 100,000 people for a similar protest. Father D´Britto said that following the 1992 rally, the government modified its development plan, reserving more area for green zones, and unplanned construction was largely halted.

Father D’Britto’s Marathi translation of the Bible, called ‘Subodh Bible,’ was re-printed many times. He had also edited “Suvarta,” the diocesan monthly magazine, for 25 years.

Father D’Britto became the first Catholic priest to receive the Dnyanoba-Tukaram Puraskar for his literary contribution. He also received Maharashtra government’s literary award for best translation in 2013, followed by the Sahitya Akademi award in April 2014.

He was also elected president of the 93rd All India Marathi Literary Conference held in Osmanabad.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, state Congress president Nana Patole and NCP (SP) general secretary Jitendra Awhad condoled his death.

In 2004, Pune-based Muktangan De-addiction Centre awarded him for leading the fight against land sharks, politicians and rogue developers to protect the environment in Vasai area, where land was expensive.

The award citation said Father D´Britto had gone “beyond his priestly duties” to fight illegal land grabbers and to unite “frightened and frustrated Vasai people to bring about peace in the community.”

At the award function, the Anita Awchat Memorial Award Foundation president A P Kulkarni said Father D´Britto´s outspoken media columns and “daring social work,” carried out despite threats to his life, have inspired ordinary people to fight injustice in society.

Father D´Britto said the land developers active in the area intimidated or eliminated whoever opposed them. “As a priest I could not (simply) pray,” he told the award function, explaining the genesis of Harit Vasai.

The priest narrated an incident that became a turning point in his life. While attending a Church meeting, he heard a youth calling out for help from outside. Later he found the young man´s body on the roadside.

“Being close to Mumbai, since the demand for housing was high, the land developers threatened many small farmers to sell their agricultural land to the land developers and nobody dared to oppose them,” Father D´Britto said.

Anil Adsule, a professor at Ness Wadia College of Commerce in Pune who had read Father Britto’s articles, said in 2004 that the world would become a better place if it had a “handful of people like Father D´Britto.” He said the Catholic priest’s writings had revealed “the compassionate and loving face of God.”