You conclude by saying that you are not a sociologist but a student of it. Well said Gilbert! You state what was absolutely obvious all along that, you have much to learn as a student of a subject in which some have been immersed, at an advanced level, for decades.
Your version of the research you may have undertaken, represents one aspect of 'knowledge' with which you may be happy. However, I submit that we are on contested territory in the ongoing debate and you must admit that ours (Mario and self ) to whom you referred in your post, represent an alternative to your understanding of the situation. We can agree to disagree surely, but for you to say that we don't look at 'your knowledge'
adequately, and then, only at "snippets" is highly questionable, surely too, if you do not provide testable (however loosely interpreted), evidence for what you say.
Much has been said about the historical reasons for the existence of caste in terms of religion and/or culture just as we are increasingly clear about Western historical/cultural origins of white
racism. However, such historical evidence does not justify, even for a moment,
the continuity of these evils. This point lies at the heart of what Mario, others, and I have been saying all along in this debate in the Catholic Goan scenario. Everything you have said, to date, is a wish to retain caste/casteism. Everything Mario and I have said, quite independently, is that we want to see it eliminated. Full stop.
Regards,
Cornel
