Panaji : The Save Old Goa Action Committee ( SOGAC ) has launched a signature campaign opposing the naming of the village’s heritage pillar as ‘ Haat Katro Khamb ’. The move follows objections that residents submitted to the directorate of archaeology in April, challenging the naming of the site.




SOGAC is also preparing to take the matter to court. “Our lawyer is already preparing a case on behalf of the SOGAC, based on the objections already submitted. We believe a legal challenge is necessary following the notification concerning the name,” said SOGAC member Peter Viegas .



TOI reported on Sept 28 that SOGAC gave govt a 15-day ultimatum — either support its claim that the pillar was a place where hands were cut, or rename ‘Haat Katro Khamb’ as ‘ Pelourinho Novo ’ ( new pillory ).




According to SOGAC, the heritage pillar is already known by multiple names: ‘Pelourinho Novo’ in Portuguese, ‘New Pillory’ in English, and ‘ Nhovo Khambo ’ in Konkani. SOGAC says ‘Nhovo Khambo’ is written in Devanagari on one side of the pillar.




Villagers have questioned why a new name should be assigned when established names are already associated with the historical structure. As part of the campaign and the proposed legal proceedings, SOGAC is expected to submit further material, including photographs of the stone.