The group, which includes seniors, minors and even pregnant women, is doing quite well.
Brother Caitano Pixoto, who is the group leader, has stated that their prayers were opposed by Goan parishes, which compelled them to move to the forest. They have pledged to stay in the forest for another four months and have informed that more families will soon join them.
Herald had recently published an article informing that people were abandoning Gawal village since October and their whereabouts could not be ascertained.
After several complaints by the relatives of the missing people, the police discovered that the people had taken refuge in the forest at Shivsarem. Their current location is three kilometres away from a motorable road and a few kilometres away from an abandoned manganese mine in a private farm. The group had crossed this farm, cleared some bushes alongside the river and set up camp there.
Additionally, a solar fence has been installed near the river.
Herald visited the site and saw that the people had set up three big tents with tarpaulin sheets. Seven toilets have been installed and a separate space for cooking has also been set up. The food for the 55 people living in this camp is cooked together with the help of huge utensils and an LPG cylinder.
The area, being too deep in the forest, has no access to electricity. The people have also set up an inverter for electricity and use high-grade mattresses and linen.
“We were staying in Sulcorna near Don Bosco for two months. Just 15 to 20 days ago, we shifted to this place with eight families. We had given Rs 35,000 as donation to the priests of Don Bosco, but one of the priests there did not like the prayers we did. He snatched the photos we sat in front of while we prayed and sent them to his seniors in Panjim,” said Pixoto, adding that their photos reached as far as Rome, and later they were chased away from Sulcorna.
He continued, “We have an Electricity Engineer from Rivona, and with his help we got to use this land. He stays with us and goes to work from here only.”
He further said, “With the power of my prayers, I have cured even dreadful ailments like cancer, and people from across Goa come to me for prayers. But if the small kids are ill, then we take them to the nearest doctors for treatment. I was being defamed by some people, who made me restless and I lost my peace of mind. Two doctors also advised me that it is not good to take tension.”
Pixoto further said that he had been in the prayer service for 25 years and that the allegations of him undertaking activities against the teachings of the religion are false and baseless. He stated that parish priests of Tilamol, one of whom has expired, were witness to this.
When asked about the school-going children, he said, “They have not been removed from school. This year they have stopped schooling and will continue the same class from next year.”
The group has braced themselves to stay in the forest till April. However, the manner in which the group prays has raised several eyebrows and invited criticism from all around. The South Goa Superintendent of Police is looking into the matter.
