MARGAO: The Save Old Goa Action Committee will visit Pelourinho Novo (New Pillory) at Old Goa on Sunday, September 27, at 10.45 am, inviting citizens to visit the site and share their views on its history and significance.
The committee claimed that the structure beneath the bridge at Old Goa has been wrongly identified or named by the government as “Haat Khatro Khambo”, creating what it described as an objectionable narrative associated with the site and Goancho Saib (St Francis Xavier).
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It also objected to narratives linking St Francis Xavier to alleged acts of violence at the pillory during the conversion of people to Christianity. The committee said such claims should be examined against historical evidence and that the site’s history should not be presented through what it considers misleading narratives.
The visit is intended to create public awareness about Pilourinho Novou and encourage discussion on its origins, purpose and historical context. The committee has also referred to a video in which Gautam Khattar discusses the issue and urged the public to consider the various claims and narratives surrounding the structure.
The controversy centres on competing interpretations of the history associated with the pillory and St Francis Xavier, and the committee disputed claims attributing acts of punishment at the site directly to the saint.
It urged people interested in Old Goa’s history and heritage to participate in the programme as part of its broader campaign on the preservation and interpretation of the area’s heritage.
