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Bridging the divide and understanding the confusion!
GL responds:
The point raised in this post is very valid and I hope it may bridge the
confusion Goans have about Portuguese. But I doubt it will connect the
divide that Goans have; because Goans love to fight among themselves.
Though this separation, astonishingly is among those who one would have
thought are 'thinking Goans'. This divide among these and other classes
of Goa is the most compelling evidence, in addition to economic
viability, why an independent Goa was and would be doomed from
conception.
The pro-Portugal Goans rightly hearken back to 17th and 18th century
Estado de India Portugesa as Dr. Teresa Albuquerque and others have
described and which is so visible in Goa. No doubt this was the glorious
period of Goa - economic, cultural and architectural. Most Goans are
proud of this period.
The Goan-Nationalists rightly hearken to the 19th and 20th century
Estado de India Portugesa. Do they have a right to blame the Portuguese
for the stagnant economy, total lack of facilities, effects of a
colonial dictatorship and feudal society? Yes! Here the pro-Portugal
Goans have a problem accepting the facts. This is surprising, since the
Portuguese that I have met are apologetic about Salazar and his
treatment of Goa.
Hope this analysis will help the vast majority of Goans, who belong to
neither camp, know the divide among Goans. Hope this helps understand
the dichotomy why Goans (like me) can be proud of our Portuguese
cultural roots yet be disappointed with the Portugal of the 19-20th
century. We Goans can be intelligent enough to understand the
shortcomings of our recent history (political or religious) without
loosing sight of the virtues of our past heritage. This is like being
aware of the deficiency of our parents while being proud of the
tradition and inheritance of our forebears. And as an American citizen I
can be disappointed of recent presidents and yet be proud of Washington,
Lincoln, Kennedy and others. We Goans should be positive about our
strengths without ignoring our weaknesses.
The disappointment with Portugal of yester-year should not translate to
present day Portugal, personal attacks and name calling which
unfortunately where the 'Goan discussion' spills-over to no one's
benefit and everyone's loss.
I would call on the Luso-Goans of today to use their language
affiliation to build Goa's links with Portugal and its other colonies
for mutual economic benefit and understanding. Older Goans like us can
heed the call of young Constantine Xavier and boost Goa-Brazil link. And
Bernardo Colaco can single-handedly work the Goa-Macau-China link. :=))
This instead of recycling the same Portuguese Patrimony history (and the
colonial act of 1930 and its revisions) much of which had NO relevance
to the lives of native Goans prior to 1961.
Regards
Frederick Noronha:
Okay, we guys just can't turn our back on the past and carry on with our
lives. Will we turn into a pillar of salt? Maybe not. To make the most
of the Portuguese season (both pro- and anti-) that has descended on us,
permit me to raise an issue.
Dr Teresa Albuquerque writes in her book 'Bassein: The Portuguese
Interlude' (2004):
Visitng the territory of Bassein during the closing decades
of the seventeenth century, the Muslim historian
Khafi Khan recorded that, but for their religious policy, the
Portuguese were worthy of praise for the justness of their
rule. They built village settlements and in all matters
dealt kindly with the people, not burdening them with
heavy taxes. Needless to say, these were a people long
accustomed to the rigours of a feudal economy.
What would Goanetters on both side of the divide feel about such a
perspective? Is it a realistic evaluation of Portuguese rule? Did it
hold
true for particular periods of time? Over to you! FN
