The Goa government’s latest notification seeking to protect 15 ancient monuments in the state has faced a wall of protest over the naming of a 16th-century lighthouse in Old Goa. Historians have objected to the state’s use of the unofficial Konkani name Katro Khambo hat (hand cut column) in the newspaper instead Pelourinho Novoor New Pelori, alleging that the Department of Antiquities was institutionalizing a “misleading narrative.”
The solitary column of black basalt stands at a busy intersection near the Bom Jesus Church, now in the literal shadow of a concrete flyover in Old Goa. The structure, which rests on a eroded circular base, bears a stone plaque identifying it as the building Pelourinho Novo.
But it was the name HIn Katru Khambowhich appeared in the March 5 notification issued by the Department of Antiquities, which listed the 15 sites in need of protection as it notified the public of its “intent to declare the said ancient monuments/archaeological sites still remaining monuments/protected area.”
Historian Del Luis Menezes said in a letter to the government on the issue: “There is no historical evidence worthy of the above designations. On the contrary, all available archives and evidence point to the fact that the pillar in ancient Goa was a structure that represented a common area and such structures were built from Gujarat to Kerala.”
“Therefore, it is unclear on what basis the administration notified the above name or designation for the monument which has always been known as Pelourinho Novo“.
“The management should explain its choice of name,” he told HT.
Nilesh Val Desai, director of the Archaeological Department, said that the department will examine the comments received from the people at the end of the two months and will submit its recommendations to the government.
“This is the process. Once the objection period ends, the ministry will submit a detailed report to the government with its own comments after conducting a comprehensive study. Objections were received from both sides,” Val Desai said, stressing that his ministry received representation from “both sides.”
The Jagriti Samiti of Goa, a right-wing Hindu group, refers to the sorcerer as Hat Katru Khambo in an attempt to underscore what it describes as “the darkest and most horrific chapter in Goa’s colonial history.”
“These poles served as tools for public punishment of lawbreakers, who were subjected to flogging when tied to them,” the Samiti said on its website. “At times, they were used to separate the hands by wrapping the ropes so tightly that the victim would permanently lose her upper limbs.”
Researcher Cedric Lobo ignored this claim. “Structures like the Pelourinho can be found in many Portuguese towns and villages. Likewise, many former Portuguese colonies in the East Indies were marked by Pelourinhos. The Pelourinhos of Goa (Old Goa) were first depicted in a late 16th-century map by Dutch traveler Jan Huijn van Linschoten and an early 17th-century map of Goa by Manuel Godinho de Heredia,” he said.
Historians said the new name was an attempt to link the platform to the Inquisition in Goa, to rewrite its original purpose and turn it into a memorial to the victims of the Inquisition.
“The Goa Inquisition spanned from 1560 to 1820, yet there are no known primary sources – archival or otherwise or contemporary secondary sources – linking this pillar either to the Inquisition itself or to Hindu resistance against conversion,” Lobo said, adding that the “false and misleading narrative” appears to have first emerged through “certain vested interests” who later spread it online.
He added: “It is also evident from the fact that there are almost no documented accounts supporting this narrative of hand cutting, but it has nonetheless been institutionalized, repeatedly disseminated and widely accepted as the truth online.”
The Inquisition, or Inquisição (in Portuguese), a term meaning “investigation” or “inquiry”, was an ecclesiastical tribunal established to investigate primarily cases of heresy among new converts and new Christians (those of Jewish descent), operating under its own system (set of rules) and thus seeking to impose orthodox Catholic doctrine among its subjects.
He added: “Falsifying the names of publications does not depend on any archival evidence or information that can be found, and a responsible government body such as the ministry must rely on proven facts and history.”
“Certainly, we can all agree that evils and injustices must be condemned – and that the atrocities associated with colonialism, imperialism, draconian laws and oppressive policies deserve unequivocal condemnation. The Goa Inquisition and its subjects have been subjected to harsh punishments, prison sentences and labor, but these condemnations must never come at the cost of historical misinterpretation or fabrication of facts. The truth, no matter how complex or uncomfortable, must remain the foundation of any truthfulness. Dealing with the past,” Lobo added.
Menezes said the question was not about the monument’s protected status, but rather a question about why the archaeological department unquestioningly accepted the false narrative.
Historians said that cutting off hands was not a punishment used either in Goa or in Europe or by the Portuguese in the colonies, and as such, the name was inaccurate on multiple levels.
Lobo added: “The Inquisition was also established in the regions of Spain, Brazil and Portugal (Lisbon, Coimbra and Évora), but there is no evidence of the practice of cutting off hands at all, even with torches in these regions.”
Alternatively, the pads were likely used for other forms of public punishment such as flogging of criminals or slaves or for official public pronouncements.
