Talking to the HJS by Floriano Lobo, Goa Su-Raj Party

Brave Goan FLORIAN LOBO

On Wednesday 29 July, my colleague Adv Antonio Lobo and I visited Xavier Centre for Historical Research (XCHR) to listen to Dr Jose Pereira’s recital of ancient khell tiatr in Konkani. As the function came to a close, we were informed that a delegation of the Hindu JanJagriti Samiti (HJS) was waiting to accost Dr Jose Pereira. Earlier, the XCHR had received anonymous phone calls threatening to cut off Dr Jose Pereira’s hands as well as to decapitate him.

We requested the audience to stay while the HJS delegation quizzed Dr Pereira. The delegation was asked to question Dr Jose Pereira before the audience and a video camera, which they did not anticipate. Immediately their hostility evaporated and they asked their questions in a decent manner, citing their hurt sentiments and thanking the Institute for withdrawing the three paintings they objected to earlier. They said six other pictures were “sensitive”, and wanted them removed too.

When they questioned Dr Pereira as to how he could depict Lord Krishna in the manner he did, Dr Jose relapsed into authoritative Sanskrit recital, which took the audience as well as the HJS group completely by surprise. Then, the leader of the group – a lady in a white sari – admitted that she was not at all learned in the scriptures but still felt they were wrongly interpreted. Professor Rafael explained that there is no such thing as singular interpretation in literature, and multiple interpretations give colour and vigour to literature, striking a healthy balance. XCHR head Fr Delio Mendonca asked the group to put their further demands in writing. Adv Antonio Lobo made it very clear that threats would not be tolerated and that the group had made a mistake by publishing the XCHR phone numbers on its website and newspaper so that the Institute could be subjected to anonymous phone threats. The audience dispersed only when the group had left the Institute.

A very strong signal has been sent to these unruly self-styled keepers of morals and so-called religious watchdogs that they cannot threaten their way through goondagiri and must resort to civility and transparent social norms. Adv Lobo started his interaction with the group in Konkani, but relapsed into English when they could not respond. If he had persisted, the non-Goan status of most of the group would have become clear. Can these self-styled religious policemen come from outside Goa and tell Goans what they can and cannot do?

PRAXY FERNANDES (Sanquelim) ADDS:This letter to the Editor' in Herald newspaper dt 30th July 2010, written by Mr. Floriano Lobo, a true Goan at heart. I have always said that it is the non-Goan ghantis who have come to Goa to forment trouble for us niz-Goenkars. These is due to our cruel and selfish politicians who have imported them from Karwar and kumta to build their votebanks. The housing board corporation of Goa has built houses and developed plots from fertile land of our poor farmers for these ghantis who don’t even understand or speak a bit of Konkani. Rightly Mr Lobo has pointed out that the HJS is nothing but a union of outsiders fermenting trouble in Goa. They don’t know our culture nor do they respect our communal harmony and on the contrary they are trying hard to drive a wedge between Goan Christians and Hindus.

NIZ GOENKAR ADDS: This was a brave act on the part of Mr. Florian Lobo. A brave Goan.