Gandhinagar (AsiaNews/Agencies) In Gujarat, an Indian state where religious minorities including Christians have suffered from discrimination, the government has decided to honour Pope John Paul II. The State Forestry Department will plant 84 trees following a local tradition that honours the memory of Hindu religious leaders by planting trees.
Chhavinath N. Pande, director of the government-owned Indroda Park Geer Foundation (IPGF), offered to plant a tree for each one of John Paul II's 84 years.
Jesuit Father Hector Pinto, principal of the Catholic Church-run St. Xavier's Higher Secondary School in the state capital of Gandhinagar, provided the land.
The official ceremony was held on May 6. Many local personalities attended, including director N. Pande and Mgr Stanislaus Fernandes Archbishop of Gandhinagar, each one planting a sapling on land in the school compound.
"By planting 84 trees, we want to honour and perpetuate the revered memory of Pope John Paul II and his unique contributions to world peace, brotherhood, unity of all nations and caring for our environment," Mr. Pande said, who added that his foundation will plan the other trees in July when the monsoon season begins.
The government of Gujarat, which is led by the Baharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is known for its support of Hindutva (Hinduness), or Hindu-centric nationalist ideology that is intolerant of religious minorities.