Fr Delio Mendonca, Director Xavier Centre of Historical Research Source: Courtesy Gomantak Times August 3, 2010.
Dr Jose Pereira’s exhibition titled ‘Epiphanies of Hindu Gods’ was inaugurated on July 24. Sixteen Paintings were put up on display ath the Exhibition and also on display at the Institute were Christian Paintings. A few days after the Exhibition a group of people belonging to the HJS(Hindu Janajagruti Samiti) came with a letter with the subject stating that the religious sentiments of the people have been hurt. They requested us to remove three Paintings namely Shiva Seductive Beggar, Shiva Dance Connoisseur and Krishna in Body of Eros. The same day they filed a complaint with the Police. The Police Inspector came over. We told him we didn’t want to give a communal tone to the Exhibition and didn’t want any confrontation so we withdrew the Paintings. Then another group of people came from the same organization with the same letter this time asking us to withdraw five more Paintings. Since the History Hour was in session, Dr Jose Pereira was giving a presentation on Folk Plays of Salcete. He then addressed the members of the HJS. The next day two people came from the same group, asking me when I was shutting down the entire exhibition. We received a few threats saying that what happened in Kerala recently, (A Catholic Professor’s hand was cut off for blasphemy) would happen to us. We received numerous calls with people hurling abuses at us. Our Phone number and email addresses were made available on the website of the HJS. Almost all the calls and emails weren’t in proper English. Dr Pereira was concerned but remained calm. His Paintings were exhibited in Delhi but there was no problem there. We withdrew the Exhibition on July 31. * * * How were the 1950s, East African Goans and British Overseas Citizenship linked? Which Kenyan-Goan was one of the world fastest sprinters in the 1960s? What did the 1878 London-Lisbon treaty mean to Goa? Find your answers in Selma Carvalho's *Into the Goan Diaspora Wilderness*. Buy from Broadways Book Centre, Panjim [Ph +91-9822488564] Price (in Goa only) Rs 295. http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ * * *
