Wallacepur

NAMO WAVE GRIPS GUJ’S CHRISTIAN VILLAGE

Thursday, 24 April 2014 | Nayan Dave | WALLACEPUR (BHAVNAGAR)

1

2

3

4

5

Till 2009 Lok Sabha elections, over 600 inhabitants of an entirely Christian village — Wallacepur — situated on the outskirts of coastal Bhavnagar in Gujarat, were staunch supporters of the Congress party.

However, following development as its main poll plank, the saffron party has managed to generate some support from here for the first-time ever.Notably, Wallacepur dwellers — all Protestants — are known for almost 100 per cent voting but primarily to the Congress. The winds of change, however, started flowing here after 2010 when the Gujarat Government, particularly Chief Minister Narendra Modi, aggressively resorted to development agenda.

Modi’s much-talked about Sadbhavana Mission also brought them little closer to the saffron party.The parish boasts of having 100 per cent literacy, they have also bagged the cleanest village award for two years in a row from the district panchayat.Such recognition and facilities like solar streetlights, water storage facilities, 24X7 electricity from the State Government’s Jyotirgram scheme and well maintained roads are some of the reasons due to which this section of villagers have started appreciating the ‘Good Governance’ model of Modi.

“We can’t give directives to the villagers about who they should vote for. There are people who are supporting various parties and they should utilise their franchise independently,” says Denial Alfredbhai, village sarpanch. 

However, septuagenarian Theophil Vinodrai says that Wallacepur prospers with peace and tolerance despite being surrounding Hindu-dominated villages. “Just like other neighbouring villages, development work is equally at par here too,” he says.

“Before 2007 Assembly elections, we used to avoid campaigning in Wallacepur as a rule. However, gradually we started meeting them and made them aware about what the State Government is doing for them and other villages in the region. We managed to persuade them on inclusive growth process in the State,” said a local BJP leader in Bhavnagar.

The village of farmers is no different from any other parish in the region. However, as the name suggests, Wallacepur was established by an English pastor, Reverend Wallace in 1840.He brought the people from different parts of Gujarat and gave them a land here. Interestingly, most of the villagers know their Hindu lineage and the ‘caste’ they used to belong to.These settlers later adopted Christianity and built a large church in 1871. The villagers, however, know very little about the founder of village — Reverend Wallace.

All they know is he left after settling them.

http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/namo-wave-grips-gujs-christian-village.html

-------------------

GUJARAT PARISH AN EXAMPLE OF PEACE

Friday, 11 October 2013 | Nayan Dave | GANDHINAGAR

1

2

3

4

5

Last month, a 130-year-old All Saints Church in Pakistan’s Peshawar was attacked by a pair of suicide bombers. The attack on Christian minority in the neibouring country resulted into death of more than 80 people of the minority community and serious injuries to 140 others. Contradictory to the incident, a village having all its inhabitants from the minority Christian community in bordering Gujarat State, has set a perfect example of communal harmony and peaceful co-existence.

A small hamlet Wallacepur situated near Bhavnagar looks like any other Indian village where economy revolves around agriculture and allied activities. Though the village is surrounded by majority Hindu dominated villages, the inhabitants have never felt a sense of fear.

As name of the parish suggest, it was established by an English pastor Reverend Wallace way back in 1840. He was instrumental to bring the ancestors of the villagers from different parts of Gujarat.

He donated land to them and taught scientific way of doing farming and related activities. The settlers subsequently adopted Christianity and now sixth generation of the original migrants is residing in the village.

Cleanliness and planned constructions of the houses differentiate the village from nearby hamlets. A well maintained heritage charge would impress anyone entering the village. All its 600-odd dwellers are literate.

“Most of the houses were constructed by the founder of the village in planned manner. New houses are constructed on his theory where space for the cattle is being kept on the rear side. The village already few cleanliness awards too its credit,” says Alfred Patel, a Wallacepur dweller.

Interestingly, women of  Wallacepur are more educated than the men. Men of the village are engaged in agriculture, while women are working as teachers, nurses, clerks etc in surrounding villages including Bhavnagar.

Talking about their relations with neibouring villages, Sylvan Patel, a Wallacepur inhabitant says that Hindus as well as Muslims invariably visit our village during Christmas and celebrate festival with us. “We also become part of their festivals like Diwali, Holi, Uttarayan, Eid etc,” he added.


http://www.dailypioneer.com/nation/gujarat-parish-an-example-of-peace.html