In Goa, the bells of St. Francis Xavier Church in Borim ring for Sunday Mass, for funerals, for feasts. They do not ring for the Inquisition. Yet the Inquisition happened. From 1560 to 1812, tribunals judged faith, punished dissent, and left scars on families who are now dust. Today, most Goan Catholics do not carry that pain in their...
The Age of Hurt: Reading Goa’s Sentiments Through Pankaj Mishra’s Age of Anger
In recent years, Goa has witnessed a quiet but persistent shift in public mood. Conversations in markets, tea stalls, village clubs, and social media often circle back to one theme: a feeling of being hurt, overlooked, or disrespected. Different communities speak of past wrongs, cultural erosion, economic anxieties, and a fear that their identity is slipping away. The language...
The Pillory, Memory, and the Weight of the Past: Between Truthful Remembering and motivated Claims
In the sun-warmed streets of Old Goa, the weathered basalt pillar known officially as the Pelourinho Novo stands quietly near the Basilica of Bom Jesus. To some, it is familiar as the “Hat Katro Khamb” or hand-cutting pillar. In recent years, this modest civic monument has been transformed in public discourse into a potent symbol of Hindu suffering under...
The Uncorrupted Witness: Reclaiming Goa’s Shared History from Rhetoric of Division
In the serene yet deeply interconnected communities of Goa, history is not merely a record of the past, it is the living soil from which present identities and relationships grow. For many Goans, especially those from Catholic families whose roots intertwine with the arrival of Christianity in the 16th century, the figure of St. Francis Xavier evokes profound reverence,...
St. Francis Xavier and the Hermeneutics of Historical Distance
In an age of instant polemics, historical figures like St. Francis Xavier (1506–1552) often become weapons in contemporary cultural battles. Social media and public discourse frequently reduce his letters from 16th-century India to stark soundbites: idols described as “as dirty as they are ugly and horrible to look at,” or joy expressed at the breaking down of “temples of...
Goycho Saib and the Call for Dialogical Harmony
The recent controversy surrounding Goycho Saib, the cherished Konkani name for St. Francis Xavier, popular saint of Goahas shaken the state’s social fabric. On April 18, 2026, at a Bhagwan Parshuram Janmotsav event in Vasco da Gama, speaker Gautam Khattar allegedly described the saint as a “terrorist” and “barbaric” figure tied to forced conversions. He questioned the veneration of...
Why Power and Not Ideals Rule Our Society?
There is a world of difference between power and ideals. Ideals are what we say we believe. Power is what actually happens. Ideals talk about justice, truth, unity, and respect for all. They are written in books, spoken in speeches, and posted on walls. They are necessary. A society without ideals has no direction. Power is different. Power decides whose voice...
Between the two Francis Xaviers
In the sun-kissed streets of Goa, where the scent of jasmine mingles with the salt of the Arabian Sea, St. Francis Xavier is not merely another Saint. He is revered as Goycho Saib by Goans of all walks of this. This affectionate Konkani title, among other things is evoking a protective father figure, and captures a profound truth about...
Building Peace and Healing Hearts: Forgiveness and Responsible Dialogue in the Shadow of a Smear Campaign Against Goycho Saib
In moments of heightened tension, when public discourse turns venomous, societies face a profound choice. The recent smear campaign targeting Goycho Saib, a figure long revered for his quiet dedication to communal harmony and ethical living, has thrust this choice into sharp relief. Whispers of unfounded allegations, amplified by digital echo chambers, have sought to tarnish a legacy built...
The Symbolic Sale of Goa: Why the Delhi Property Expo on 26 April 2026 Marks the Final Auction of a State
In just five days, on 26 April 2026, a gleaming hall in Delhi will host the latest Goa Property Expo. Promoters will showcase beachfront villas, hilltop bungalows, and luxury apartments to an audience of investors, NRIs, and urban professionals from the capital. Brochures will glow with promises of sunsets, returns on investment, and “Goa living.” Yet beneath the glossy...
