Dear UP Kamath, There is a lot of depth to what you say about Maglorean Catholic women. And you cannot be faulted one bit. Besides slavery, it is the enslavement as in the enslaved mind that does one in -- as it appears to have done to the larger Goan population. I do believe that Goan Hindus despite assiduously preserving what they saw as their core identifications; also got benumbed under Portuguese influence. They benefited a lot although it is not that obvious. Furthermore, this I believe is one deeper reason why the political as well as aspects of Goan society were so desperate to be part of the Maharashtra fold -- perhaps in an existential way to become complete again -- or so I presume.
The role of women in any society tells one a lot about that society, and in the end it is usually the women who fight for justice as well as salvation (not in the Christian sense) from any form of enslavement as has been seen often in modernity. Again, splendid points UP. venantius j pinto From: "U P Kamath" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Goanet] GHANTII > I find Manglorean Catholic girls and women quite > attractive, whereas I find Goan catholics distinctively ugly in general. I > feel It is due to 450 years of Portuguese slavery. Now one may be > politically correct and accuse me of bias. But I feel the Mangalorean > catholics had more freedom for generations and it shows on their faces!