It was not the catcombs "a la Paris" that one could see. No layers of skulls stacked of those interred or deinterred but yes there were a few remants of bones as one steps into the first layer underground when this writer visited the spot this afternoon at 1645 hrs into the right side of the Chapel of St Bernard in the Se Cathedral at Old Goa. There are eight chapels and six chapels along the aisles of the Se Cathedral.
Speaking to Rev Fr Leonardo Gomes the Parish priest of Church of St Catherine after the Mass at 1700 hrs today, 11th March, 2007, Fr Gomes claimed that the same was brought to his notice recently. It may be noted that the Archaeological Survey of India under which the Churches of Old Goa are placed being a world Heritage Monument, had been carrying out concealed wiring works for well over a month now with two workmen doing the works unsupervised by the Parish priest. Infact the wiring works have mercilessly cut into the walls of the church and the workmanship leaves much to be desired. While they were digging they chanced to strike on a stone slab close to the tomb stone before the Chapel of St Bernand and presto it caved in and what the workers are believed to have noted was an underground cavern. This was the version of one of the SIS security personnel from New Delhi manning the Old Goa Churches present at the venue and the same was corroborated in affirmation by the sacristian of the Church. Being a non working day this writer could not contact the ASI officials nor the contractor believed to be from Karnataka. But the fact remains laments Fr Correia who took office as Parish priest on 6th July, 2006 is that the ASI authorities niether pay heed to any thing that they have to say nor do the ASI authorities seek permission or inform the Parish priests of the activities underway. "They do what they like but even if we put a nail on the wall they will question us" And there are plans to cover this opening with a glass screen to allow visitors to have a peep in. But is the ASI a competent authority to decide on these issues does it not amount to defiling the sanctity of the precints. How can the ASI intervene in religious sentiments of a community with utter disregard to the titular head of the Church in Goa. To cite two instances Fr Correia showed this writer two letters one dated 11.9.2006 wherein it was pointed to the Deputy Superinteding Archaeologist the topmost official in Goa Mr N Taher that the statue of Jesus in the sanctuary of Miraculous cross being corroded by termites needed immediate restoration, This was despite an oral intimation earlier. But nothing happened . Only after putting it in writing and after over a month the damage was rectified but when and how the work was executed was unknown. Yet another incident was of illegal hutments being constructed just on the Northern end of the Church. It is intended to house some menial workers but it is often seen that some female vendor stays in the premises which earlier was a tatched hut but now has enclosures of metallic sheets. The place is frequented by men on motorcycle well past the closing hours. When this was brought to the notice of Mr Taher in writing on 28/12/2006 there was no action except a letter apparently addressed to the CA Gr II Field Officer Shri R P Wadgaonkar to ensure that any illegal activities to be checked with copies marked to others. But till this date the structures are in place, when this writer visited the area in the presence of some security personnel it was observed that most of the premises were in a shabby state and some locked, They only come at night stated Fr Correia. Interestingly just beyond there is a government run unmanned public toilet. It was built for the devoutees who come for the novenas said Fr Correa down beyond is the jetty for the cruise boats to dock in and visit the Se Cathedral claims Fr Correa. Could the toilet be used for indecent activities specially at dusk. Well this could not be ruled out. Meanwhile this writer learnt from a discreet source that most of the properties coming in the Ela, Sao Paulo Guntem Bhat in survey Nos 155/1 & 2 , 1/1, 86/1, 92/2 & 3, 97/1 & 2 , 1/2 , 153/1 149.1 150/1 145/13, 148/1, 146.1, 2, 3, 4, 151/0 107/2 & 3 & 4 ana area of almost 3,50,00 m2 are held in the names of some individual persons, the Government of Goa, the Konkan Railway Corpn Ltd, Communidade of Ela some Realtors but what irks the Parish priest is that some unknown persons have set up structures in the area there are some who come and pluck coconuts from the property and they do so with utter disregard to the Parish Priest. When this writer told Fr Correia that the ASI authoriites could not permit structures within 100 m2 of the ASI protected monuments under the law in force they should be pulled up for any violations Fr Gomes expressed his desire to put an end to all this but he was new to the area. "Except for four original inhabitants in Ela the other parishioners were those from villages beyond Ela and therefore could not provide him the necessary wherwithal. "There is a rampant construction activites in place involving the present Minister for Transport Mr Pandurang Madkaikar and the Old Goa Sarpanch Mr Bhomkar too in real estate" said Mr Rama Naik from Bhoma, who is a menial labourer near a construction site at the venue and was enjoying "chai" with this writer before the ramps of the Divar Jetty. Given the woes of the Parish priest it appears that the ASI authorities have assumed full supervisory authority (almost a dictatorial position ) of all anbd sundry at the place with utter disregard to the fact that these are living monuments and the ASI ought to work in co-ordination or in tandem with the Parish priest and the local Parish Council as well When this writer tried to confirm from the security personnel whether they had filled in the tenant verification forms with the local police outpost at Old Goa they claimed ignorance of such a form. To another question about the presence of unauthorised persons entry into the ASI controlled precints they however confirmed that the precincts of the ASI controlled area was open from 0700 hrs to 2000 hrs and members of the public are NOT permitted on the lawns. This was because this writer found some strange couples almost out of public gaze well past sunset. While the Parish priest stays with a sacristian and a cook, in the absence of ASI officials on site ( more so following the murder of Fr Eusebio Ferrao at St Francis Church Macasana Salcete Goa on 18th March, 2006 ) it is the bounden duty of the ASI and the security agency SIS New Delhi to ensure that a) they should provide a list of names of the security personnel on duty on a daily basis to the Parish priest b) all security personnel should wear their photo identity cards /name badge on their uniforms while on duty and also to maintain a subordinate superior relation with the Parish priest besides the ASI authoirities; c) all security personnel and those staying in the precints of the ASI controlled area should submit copies of the tenant verification forms duly endorsed by the Old Goa Police station to the Parish priest as well besides the ASI officials maintaining a copy of the same for ready identification of persons within when the the area is out of bound for the public. d) all ASI related actvities within the premises of the Churches should be intimated to the Parish Priest and the Archbishop of Goa & Daman. Now the questions that need answers are: a) Does the defiling of the catacomb not amount to disturbing the religious sanctity of the place of worship? b) Was it not the duty of the ASI Deputy Suptdg Archaeologist St Inez Goa to report the matter to the Parish priest before allowing workmen to enter the same? c) Can the ASI vouch for the security of the contents of the catacomb now that the matter was reported late? Efforts to contact the ASI Deputy Suptdg Archeologist on +91 0832 222 4703 and 222 8478 (O) 222 0360 (R) yielded no result. In the meanwhile it is hoped that the Archdiocese will take up this matter in right earnest and ensure that the ASI officials work in tandem with the Parish priest, and not treat the Parish priest as a tenant. It is learnt that the Aurangabad Circle Maharashtra Siperintending Archaeologist has supervisory control over the Old Goa Heritage Monuments. Meanwhile this report is being mailed to the Rajya Sabha MP Mr Shantaram L Naik to pursue the issue with the ASI officials in New Delhi and the Government of India. The ASI officials must realise that though the Churches are under their control they should work in full co-operation with the local priests as they are knowledgable on all that lies within and without the precints of these structures. from the Se Cathedral Old Goa Ela Tiswadi (Ilhas) GODFREY J. I. GONSALVES, BORDA, MARGAO, 403 602, GOA. (INDIA) +91 98221 58584 (24 HRS) [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Answers: Share what you know. Learn something new http://in.answers.yahoo.com/