KUMAR – THE FIRST MAN HANGED IN GOAThe first person to be hanged in Goa was criminal Kumar whose real name was Peter. He was from Kerala. Soon after the exit of Portuguese from Goa most of the people who came to Goa from Kerala, Maharastra, Karnaka and other places of India were “chors”, rapists and criminals. They landed in Goa only to rob Goans even by killing Goans. During Portuguese time the discipline of Goans was very good. The Goans of those days were simple, docile and “susegad”.
Generally speaking harshness and militancy was not existing amongst those days' Goans. There were no crimes with the exception of few here and there and that too with big intervals. In one of his songs during the Silver Jubilee year of Goa’s liberation, Tiatrist M. Boyer rendered a beautiful and very philosophical song comparing the high degree of discipline of Goa from Portuguese time to lowest ebb during Bharati regime. In this song he said “the number of crimes committed in Goa during the last 25 years surpassed even those that committed during the 450 years of Portuguese rule in Goa.
Kumar came from Kerala and worked as domestic helper at Taleigao with one family comprising a husband, wife and their young daughter. The husband of the woman had gone for a business trip to outside Goa. This was somewhere in early seventies. During his absence Kumar was decided to rob the house of his master and in view of this he first killed both the wife and her young and tiny daughter. After killing them he cut their bodies into pieces and stacked them into a Trunk/Box. After returning from his business trip the husband of the wife found his daughter and wife missing. Investigation began and finally the criminal Kumar was caught who confessed to his crimes.
When news of these crimes spread all over Goa the entire Goan population was shocked. Some even called for the return of Portuguese “Serkar” to straighten the law and order situation in Goa bended by the deputationist administrators brought in by MGP from outside Goa and also Ghantti Mama Police force from Maharastra. During those days such crimes in Goa means a big thing but for outsiders, non-Goan Ghantti Police, non-Goan Government employees it was nothing big, for them it was a normal situation because in their states such crimes are routine. But for us Goans it was something abnormal and unacceptable.
In one of his Sermons, Fr. George D’Sa the bearded Rector of Bom Jesus Basilica, in my village Church preached the congregation thus “God has given you two hands to work nicely and earn your daily bread. God has given you hands not to kill human beings and cut them into pieces and pack them into the box” referring to these crimes and criminal Kumar. In many places in Goa priests started highlighting on these crimes in their sermons to educate the people. Top Tiatrists composed and rendered beautiful songs on these crimes. For example, the trio of Rom-Rem-Rod was the first to sing a trio on this topic that created chills into the veins of the audience while listening to this song. In Kuwait, the then well–known Tiatrist the late Tony Call after getting full information from me on this subject, rendered a nice and interesting solo at Keefan Hall which stunned the entire hall. Here below I give the text of this song.
During the trial of Kumar at Panjim Court opposite Customs Jetty one could see a sea of humanity, all Goans very furious. They wanted to drag Kumar from the hands of Police and tear him into pieces. But Police “bondabost” was very tight. The Police sensed the fury of the public and provided top security so that nobody could know which side and thru which door Kumar was taken to the courtroom and brought back. Mob fury was gaining momentum, I was feeling the pulse of the public wrath against Kumar there. Kumar was defended by one Lawyer from Maharastra named Marathe who during the time of Portuguese rule studied in Goa and he had good knowledge of Portuguese laws in Goa.
Once during the trial, when people outside the court came to know Marathe was defending Kumar, they got so angry that all cordoned the road and area in front of the court and started demanding Kumar for them. There were slogans and shouts on the road below the court saying “Poilo Marathek dhorat re. Poilo Marathek hanga haddat re, taka xinkouya licao sarkem. Vollkott khuincho, Kumarak defend korunk zai? Haddat Marathek poilo amchesim”. Some in the crowd were holding sticks and soda bottles to kill Marathe for defending the criminal Kumar. Such was the ire of the Goans against Kumar and Marathe. But Marathe was never exposed to the public anger by the Police. He was given strong Police protection. Finally Marathe after this case died with a miserable sickness. When he died, people in Goa heaved a sigh of relief and said that he deserved this because he defended a criminal who killed innocent Goans. People used to remark that time thus “Goykaranchea xirapanim Marathe ken’neanim melo”.
When Kumar’s sentence was confirmed, our Patriarch Rahul Gonsalves appealed to the Government thru proper channel to spare the life of Kumar and spare the hanging in a sacred place of Goa since this would be the first time in the known history of Goa that a man was going to be hanged.
Shasikala of MGP was the Chief Minister of Goa as MGP Government was ruling in Goa at that time. She showed scorn at our Patriarch Rahul Gonsalves for pleading for mercy for Kumar saying “Goa’s Patriarch to get cheap publicity asked for mercy for Kumar”. This scorn was taken by the entire Catholic community of Goa as an insult to them and immediately Shashikala was kicked out not only from the ruling benches but also from the Legislative Assembly. She was the most communal and anti-Christian, worst than her father. Up to now nobody knows who killed her brother Siddarth Bandodkar. The entire case was hushed up because suspicious needle points out towards her and her late husband. In order to suppress this murder, she even joined Congress Party to get Congress Government backing. This is the quality of MGP politicians in particular and Goan politicians in general. To get their work done, they will join any party.
Since Goa did not have the facility of a gallows, special gallows was built at Aguada, down the Aguada Fort facing the sea where finally Kumar was hanged at 6.00 in the morning on 28th January 1978. When he was asked for his last wish, he donated his body for Goa Medical College to further the studies of the students there. He also requested his colleagues in the prison at Aguada not to follow his example and be calm in life because crime ultimately makes you suffer, like me.
I.
Jivit munxeachem jivit ek sopon,
Sopon, rokddench veta sompon,
Vaitt tujer etana, bhava kedinch eina re sangon,
Vaittak sodanch biye, ani chotraen jiye, borepon vompon.
Ch.
Don devan tukam payem dileat, cholonk borea rostean,
Tech porim don hath tuje vavronk boreponnan,
Torui astana, vhodd dharechi suri ghe-un hatan,
Jivim tankam marlint, katrun pettent bhorlint, mae dhuvek tea krimidoran.
II
Hi ghoddni ghodli Goyam, Taleigao 3 vorsam fattim,
Krimidorak ghollar markap, sikxea dili motti,
Advogad Marathe krimidoracho, Juizak sangon vhoddleo fotti,
Sikxea mudar korunk chinti, Juizan foddli na mitti, sangun hi sikxea mhonn chodd thoddi.
Ch.
Xekim poilech pavtt Goyam, krimidorak marlo gollar,
Attavisver Janerache Aguad sokallchea sou horar,
Amchea Bism Saiban Goyemchea, magnnem kelem sentens korunk mudar,
Serkaran aikolena, magnem kanar ghetlena, xekim choddoiloch fasar.
III
Krimidor Kumar, Peter khorem naum tachem,
Patok vollkon aplem, dukh porgottlem mottem,
Gollar choddchea adim tannem, roddon dukhachem kelem tollem,
Goa Medical Collegik, moddem tannem aplem, xekim bhettoilem
Ch.
Chint munxea korchea adim, maguir faido na korun,
Ragachea bharan chintinakaim dusreank uddounk marun,
Gath ani vingans pois dovor, sounsarant jivit sukhi sarun,
Ranvottponnan cholxi, Kumara porim morxi, gollar umkollun.
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.
