I would like to add to what Fred writes apropos the above subject. Religion during the Portuguese rule played a big role in the social and political lives of the people.I say political because many a time the religious head was also a part of the ruling dispensation besides the usual State -religion established nexus.Religion was used to exercise total control over the people. The fear of God was so ingrained in the psyche of the people that very few dared to raise even a whimper of protest.Add to that the fear of the 'cabo' and the cane especially for the Hindus.Fear had made everybody meek and humble. That was the political climate of the time. Hence it was left only to the priests - the main conspirators in the Pinto Conjuracao were three priests - to raise the banner of revolt though it was more for personal reasons of hurt egos and hurt prospects rather than patriotic fervour per se. Even the others like T.B.Cunha who today are termed as fiery revolutionaries were products of the seminaries or had come under 'outside influences'.These were the renegades.
Of course there was a segment of society that could have driven away the Portuguese but they are never known to bite the hand that fed them. On the contrary they connived with the whites as is their wont to land them the plum places and plump for the best lands.They made hay while the sun shone. For them the going was really good and they are enjoying the fruits of their duplicity till this day. Really speaking there wasn't any voice of freedom in Goa which was bereft of a selfish motive and was based on any sort of idealogy. An idealogical movement would have considered the option of Goa as a separate entity. Perhaps a couple of reasons have endeared the Portuguese to the Goans: the crime-free atmosphere and the justice system. And of course life in Goa was 'sossegado' thanks to the Portuguese. Richard Cabral Candolim _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list Goanet@lists.goanet.org http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org