Gilbert Lawrence: Hi Antonio, I fully agree with what you have said all along. My reading of Goan and Indian history suggest so. However it is one thing to write a post on Goanet and analyze what has been published with 'common sense and gut feeling'.
It is another to have at least one or two accounts documenting the events. Perhaps if you or Teotonio or any other church historians have facts or figures or descriptive accounts WRITTEN CLOSE TO THE TIME OF THE EVENTS it would help convince our skeptical ganv-bhavs and ganv-bhoinis. This is especially important in a climate where we see virulent articles and VCD films giving a selected reading of history and caste distinctions. This would also be a good time to review the specifics of our history for our own knowledge and to educate our kids. Regards. Antonio Menezes: Let me begin by saying that I do believe that there were forcible conversions in the 16th century and that only the original inhabitants of Velha Conquistas were subjected to the fiery ordeal. The descendants of those 16th century Goan Catholics are still there today but they are in minority as compared to the descendants of Catholics whose ancestors migrated to Velha Conquistas in the 17th century very much out of their own free will.