------------------------------------------------------- Goanet recommends, and is proud to be associated with, 'Domnic's Goa' - A nostalgic romp through a bygone era. This book is the perfect gift for any Goan, or anyone wanting to understand Goa. Distributed locally by Broadway, near Caculo Island, Panjim & internationally by OtherIndiaBookStore.Com. For trade enquiries contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------- FN 1: Dear CA Bhandare, As far as I can comprehend, you're the other side of the JC coin. Both of you guys are simply trying to prove that "your religion/tradition/culture is worse than mine"... so I don't think either of you'll deserve any sympathy :-)
FN 2: Reality is more complex. I think all our religions/traditions/cultures contain things to be proud of, and things to be ashamed of, within them. We need to work to reform the negative things on our own side of the fence, instead of criticising others and feeling morally superior! JC's response: It is either that Frederick Noronha cannot comprehend simple English or he knows little about coins (probably deals only in notes). On a personal note, I am NOT looking for any sympathy for me or my views from Frederick Noronha. If I may say so, He has consistently misrepresented (albeit negligently) my view point on (inter alia) colonialism. Let me for the sake of clarity state very clearly - some of my beliefs. If you believe I am wrong - please do correct me. These are the same views I have espoused since I first started writing on GoaNet circa 1996. 1. EVERY single religion (except perhaps Buddhism) has been hijacked to oppress the less fortunate. 2. Religion is a private matter. It has no business in (public) political life. 3. Those who are forced to convert are NOT converted. 4. Those who convert because of convenience, are opportunists. 5. Those who convert to escape the oppressiveness of their religion - are freed former slaves. 6. No matter what a person's religious beilef or nonbelief is - ALL men and women are equal. 7. Colonialism as an abomination. 8. The Caste System is the first known (to me) form of Colonialism. 9. Those who believe otherwise - need to live in the midst of the oppressed - as I have ..in my formative years 10. To my knowledge, the Caste System did NOT arrive in Goa post-1961. 11. Colonialism did not arrive in Goa either in 1961 or in 1510. It arrived several hundred years earlier. 12. ALL forms of violence are abhorrent. 13. The Devadasi System institutionalises Child Abuse. It is a form of violence best described as religiously sanctioned Gang Rape which persists atleast until another sex-slave is found. 14. Those who have sexually abused others under the official cover of being considered a priest, imam or pandit, are a disgrace. Those who condone such acts are accessories to a violent crime. 15. Those US Catholics who spoke maliciously of me - behind my back (or so they thought) - because of my criticism of their silence in the face of the abuse scandal - I am grateful to them for that ill will. 16. The burning at the stake during the Inquisition is a crime of violence. It is just as nasty a crime as the burning at Sati and the dowry burning deaths. In ALL these crimes - the hapless victims were left helpless. 17. Those who state that St Francis Xavier called for an Inquisition are correct. They now need to verify against WHOM the Inquisition was called for by St Francis Xavier and WHY. 18. I disagree with Selma Carvalho that St Francis Xavier should be treated lightly because "he lived at a different time". However, ALL the facts of the matter need to be verified before St Francis Xavier is vilified for the events which happened at the Inquisition in Goa (which commenced 9 years after SFX's death). It is my personal belief that those who detest St Francis Xavier without fully studying the life of St Francis Xavier for themselves are just as bigoted as those who want to ban the Da Vinci Code without seeing it themselves. 19. In the two major fields of my study, I have come to realise that before one makes a decision, one must try understand ALL the available facts of the case. The position wrt all the available facts is that One Knows, Ought to Know or is Negligent by NOT bothering to Know the facts before taking a decision. 20. I remain thankful to the Portuguese for at least ONE thing they did i.e. abolishing Sati by decree. That decree has saved thousands of Goan women who would have been sent to their burning end. Shame on Portuguese for not saving the Jews, Muslims and others in Goa from the fires of the Inquisition. (Do notice the priority I have given to the Jews and Muslims in the preceding sentence) 21. Whenever I hear of or read about WHY some people were/are executed/killed/burnt alive/imprisoned etc, I ask myself if any of the following was involved: a: Hatred towards the other( as in Mahatma Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Martin Luther King) b: Intolerance of the other's view point (as in Inquisition) c: Concern for the Common Property which might pass to another (as in Sati) d: Taking out rivals (Inquisition) e: The person executed knew too much (Bhutto) I am sure you have others to add to this list, and I hope you will. With regard to Frederick Noronha's second point (FN 2 above), I agree with him absolutely. I certainly pray for peace. I hope you do too. sincerly jc