In the wake of thetsunami of death hoaxes in India, the late noted artist, F.N. Souza,may have outlived or out-staged them all. According to the ObituaryColumn, he was chronicled dead as of March 28, 2002. However, in arecent article in the Times of India, Vivek Menezes points to Souza revisiting his ancestral roots in Goa in 2003 – and attempting forthe last time to donate some of his masterpieces to the local genesonly to encounter rejection and humiliation. [“No home for artworksof Goa's greatests”(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/no-home-for-artworks-of-goas-greatests/articleshow/61124536.cms)“No home for artworks of Goa's greatests”(https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/no-home-for-artworks-of-goas-greatests/articleshow/61124536.cms)]
It is a historicallandmark for people to become posthumously resurrected in the'Recognition Column' after having graduated through the 'ObituaryColumn'. If Souza was still covertly attempting to make the roundsin 2003 to perpetuate immortality by donating canvases, then we areall in for a bilateral surprise: a) he is supernaturally alive andwell; b) posterity has been paying homage to an empty grave in theSewri cemetry, Bombay. In this age of theinternet, just about anyone can glorify or de-glorify oneself or theother. There are also the opportunists, who could avail of thisdishonorable power to solicit a hoax to either boost their waningimage or upstage an eclipsed one. And just as one needs to be waryof fake canvases circulating among authentic ones in the art market,one needs to be similarly wary of the originating authenticity ofthese so called internet death hoaxes. In other words, let a week goby for internet rumors to ascertain themselves before putting yourfoot in your mouth on exactly how you felt about someone's fake passing. And if you did rush in to order the largest wreath onearth, you might wish you had been dead before unconditionallyemptying out the contents of your penurious wallet. Or, as you mightbelatedly learn and to an excruciating degree: In the macrocosm ofhoaxes, there are no refunds, backpaddling, or unringing the bell. Nowthat said, if ever you happen to see my name propagated in theinternet death-hoax columns, please refrain from sending wreaths orheart warming bytes. Just bite your lip and send your tax deductiblecash donations to my Cayman Island account No. IPC 420. And if youhappen to run into me, just acknowledge that physical occurrence as aprivileged apparition. DomMartin
