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Mumbai: Mumbai's Christian community, Prabhu Yeshu
Janmotsav, has acquired BMC's sanction to conduct its
annual cultural function on Chowpatty beach. The BMC
had initially turned down the application to set up
a podium at the site. Ironically, the recent High Court
ruling was in favour of Carol singing on Chowpatty beach.
The Prabhu Yeshu Janmotsav, chaired by Dr. Abraham
Mathais, had contacted advocate Rafiq Dada when the
BMC denied the permission. Rafiq Dada is the chairman
of the influential committee selected by the HC to watch
over the allowance of holding cultural and religious
programs at the Chowpatty beach. When Rafiq Dada intervened,
the BMC granted consent for the Carol singing.
Around fifteen thousand people are likely to attend
the five-hour long Carol singing and cultural program
to be held on December 18. The 'expected' guest-list
consists of political leaders including Chief Minister,
Vilasrao Deshmukh, Congress MP Milind Deora, Priya Dutt,
Union Minister Renuka Chowdhary. Actor Johnny Lever
and Vijay Benedict are regular guests and most likely
to make an appearance.
People from almost 30 churches may well attend the
event. The programs will be conducted in diverse languages
like Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati,
English, Punjabi and even Nepali.
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