PANAJI
The controversy over Old Goa’s 16th-century Pelourinho Novo pillar which has become the centre of a storm after the State government officially referred to it as “Hath Katro Khamb,” (hand-cutting pillar) is threatening to deepen with no official response from the Archives department to the objections over change in its name.
The move had drawn sharp criticism from historians, architects, and citizens, who accused the authorities of distorting history and legitimising folklore tied to the Goa Inquisition.
The basalt pillar was erected during the Portuguese era and originally served as a civic marker. Standing near the Basilica of Bom Jesus, it is now partly hidden beneath a modern flyover and archival records consistently describe the structure as a public monument, not a site of executions or mutilations.
Goa's Directorate of Archaeology placed the pillar under its protection but adopted the Konkani name “Hath Katro Khamb.” The phrase, popular in local lore, suggests the pillar was used to sever hands during punishments and some Hindu groups have long linked the site to alleged atrocities of the Inquisition.
Scholars however insist there is no documentary or archival evidence to support such claims. The controversy first spilled over into the public domain over a fortnight ago when a group of historians and professionals, including Dale Luis Menezes, Cedric Lobo, Joseph Marques, and Frazer Andrade, formally petitioned against the renaming.
They argue that institutionalising the folkloric title elevates myth over fact and risks misleading future generations.
“The official name should remain Pelourinho Novo,” Menezes, who first wrote to the department formally objecting to the new name, said in his petition.
Critics warn that the change undermines historical accuracy and distorts Goa’s colonial past through sectarian narratives. It could mislead tourists about the State’s heritage.
Supporters, however, say “Hath Katro Khamb” acknowledges the brutality of the Inquisition and restores suppressed local memory. They argued that the change corrects the historical neglect and promotes indigenous perspectives.
Subhash Velingkar, convener of the Hindu Raksha Maha Aghadi, said the pillar should be shifted to a safe location in Old Goa and clearly identified as a relic of the Inquisition with a durable cement information board to make its historical significance visible to visitors.
“The pillory must be recognised as the only surviving sign of the Inquisition. It should be safeguarded and labelled accordingly so that future generations understand its importance," said Velingkar, who had once headed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Goa for several years.
The dispute reflects broader tensions and underlying communally divided Goa over whether the colonial legacy should be remembered as a cultural inheritance or a reminder of oppression.
The State government is yet to formally respond to the questions raised in the objections. Nonetheless, the controversy threatens to fester and possibly snowball into a politically potent dispute resembling a similar row over a film on the Inquisition produced but eventually withdrawn by the State government two decades ago.
