‘Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak. Courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen’, reads a bookmark in a stack of pictures Valerian Santos (56) has carefully kept in a cupboard at his house at the Gaothan in Amboli. The pictures are of his son Keenan Santos and the words a reflection of Keenan’s belief.
On October 20, 2011, Keenan Santos and his friend Reuben Fernandes, both in their 20s, were killed by a group of men when they tried to protect their female friends from being harassed by them. The incident had shocked the community and led to widespread outrage demanding zero tolerance for eve teasing. Five years later, Keenan’s father will be present at the special women’s court on Monday when it gives its verdict against the four accused.
Dressed in a red shirt and grey trousers, Mr Santos, who is a chief engineer with a hotel construction firm, says he is proud of Keenan. “I would have never forgiven Keenan if he didn’t fight and if something had happened to the girls,” says Mr Santos, speaking to The Hindu on Sunday. Reminiscing the night when Keenan (24) was killed, Mr Santos said, “I am proud he did not run away leaving the girls to a pack of wolves.”
One should not be scared of death, because if you are born you will die, says Mr Santos as he goes back in time to share a story where Keenan had seen him coming to the rescue of a girl. “Years back Keenan saw me rescue a girl. I had told him then not to back out of any situation if he was on the right side of law.”
Mr Santos, who believes that eve teasing or passing a lewd comment should not be tolerated, reiterates, “You have to nip such things in the bud.” And he goes on to give the example of underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim. “Look at where Dawood is. He started off as a small time smuggler. If he had been brought to book then, possibly he would not have become the Dawood we all know.”
During the five years of the trial, it has never been an easy task for Mr Santos to attend the court on each hearing, and at the same time balance his work commitments. “It was difficult because the defence lawyers would seek adjournments, and the case used to drag,” he adds. The only thing that kept them strong was prayers, says Mr Santos, who then describes the condition of his 90-year-old mother Deolinda who was very close to Keenan. “Keenan was literally brought up by her, and she continues to remain attached to him. She comes out to the prayer place to say her rosary for Keenan at least four times a day,” says Mr Santos. She will be there beside him on Monday when the court pronounces its verdict.
The other Santos family members — Keenan’s mother and twin brothers Shane and Shelton — have been together through the court proceedings over the last five years.
Mr Santos is however, not in favour of capital punishment. “Those men have to be punished for their act. It was not an act of rage or something at the spur of the moment. The accused went, and came back, and then attacked which showed their intent. I would want the court to give them life imprisonment till death.”
Keenan, his friend were killed while trying to save their female friends from molesters
