NT Staff Reporter

Panaji May 17: In a horrific tragedy, Fr Freddy J da Costa (50) and Felicio Cardozo (71), two towering pillars of the Konkani movement died on the spot when their car collided head-on with a lorry at Haveri, near Hubli, at 3 a.m, today morning. The seriously-injured car driver, Francis Pires succumbed to his injuries in Karnataka Medical College, Hubli around 11 a.m.The tragic death of Fr da Costa, founder-editor of Gulab, the Konkani magazine and Felicio Cardozo, eminent Konkani writer, journalist and freedom fighter, is a double body-blow to the Konkani movement as both were strong proponents of Roman-script Konkani. Gulab is popular not only in Goa, but among Goans living abroad particularly in the Gulf countries. Fr Freddy was longing to celebrate the silver jubilee of Gulab, which is in its 22nd year of publication.

The police officials in Haveri police station, when contacted, said the accident occurred barely 50 metres from the police station when the Tata Indica in which Fr da Costa and Cardozo were travelling, attempted to overtake another vehicle but collided head-on with an oncoming lorry.

The Haveri police sources also confirmed that the bodies of all the three deceased had been handed over to their relatives from Goa around 4 p.m today afternoon. The badly damaged car was still near the site.

According to local sources, Fr da Costa and Cardozo left Goa for Hubli at about 8.30 p.m on May 16. They were proceeding to Hubli to work on a literary project along with the driver, Francis from Siridao.

On the occasion of his 50th birthday on July 20, 2003, Fr da Costa released a book in Roman-script Konkani titled Jivitachim Pon’nas Vorsam (Fifty years of Life). In his “final words” in the book, Fr da Costa writes thus, “Fifty years in India at least, is a fairly long life for a person. Hence first of all, I thank God. Also to those who helped me get up and proceed every time I stumbled and fell, I say thank you.”

(courtesy: The Navhind Times  www.navhindtimes.com )

- Forwarded by gasper almeida, associate, www.goa-world.com