Antonio Menezes wrote the following: 'Were the Portuguese in Goa for the benefit of Goans ? Yes, but for a small minority of mostly mestissos, bamons and bhatkars'
R Cabral added this: a: You are absolutely right. b: In fact the vast majority of people were oblivious of what went on around them except the fear, fear of assault and deprivation both within and without. c: They led simple lives and were economically poor. Their dwellings were single roomed mud houses built like chawls. d: Their only anxiety was to feed themselves. e: They were ignorant and as you said the bamonns took maximum advantage of this and appropriated their lands and properties. -- -- jc's response: I looked at Antonio's first (quoted above) sentence and thought to myself: What is AM saying? Did he actually mean to say:"Did the Portuguese presence in Goa benefit Goa and Goans?" IF so, there is a short answer to that: Perhaps a person who has done a comparative analysis of Goa with the surrounding territories i.e. Savantwadi and Karwar will answer that question. Since I have not, I will only say ...I do not know the answer to that question. Then comes Cabral with a statement which starts thus: "In fact the VAST MAJORITY..." I assume that Cabral has conducted a study OR read a scientific study which brought him to that conclusion. Cabral adds further that '[The vast majority of Goans lived in dwellings which were] single roomed mud houses built like chawls. Now, that puzzles me. I do not know IF it puzzles anyone else. Having seen 'chawls' in Poona and (what is now) Mumbai, I always thought that chawls were 3-4 stories high...with 'efficiencies' EACH holding one family. So, in one 'chawl' there would be about 20 'single-room efficiencies' holding 20 families. Perhaps, Cabral will advise us where these eficiencies are today - in which the "vast majority" of Goans lived. I must say that in my first year of medical school, I had the good fortune of traveling (on 20 consecutive weekends) with Jack and Erasmo Sequeira, Anant B Naik (Babu Naik) and Vasu Sarmalakar ALL over Goa for the Opinion Poll. Somehow, these chawls missed me.....a vice-versa So, I await a solid reference to what Menezes and Cabral have stated. Forgive me IF I skip the 'anti-Bamon' tirade. I do not believe in the Caste System, and remain opposed to it - Whatever the Laws of Manu say about it. As far as the mesticos are concerned, the only "properous mixed ones" I know ......are the folks from Divar. But let me not go there for now. jc