Ignatius Fernandes wrote:
1: Mr. ex-president of Portugal how would you done it differently when
you did not consult the very people you were handing to India lock,
stock and barrel.
2: You should have had a referendum in Goa whether they would alienate
with India. I did not think that ever crossed your mind.
COMMENT:
This particular type of post resurrects itself every once in a year or
so. I wonder what material value it has in 2011.
Having said that, I believe that Ignatius is technically incorrect in
the above quoted points:
re#1: Mario Soares did not hand over Goa to India; Goa was taken over
by India. One could have partially understood Ignatius' argument (in
principle) if the general populace of Goa was revolting against the
take-over - as did the populace of East Timor after the take-over by
Indonesia.
I believe that Goans are not as dumb as some people sometimes make
them out to be. They saw where the power lay, and many decided to
make the best of what was in their karma.
One thing is for sure, IF Salazar was wise, he would have given Goa
Independence. Whether that would have led to Hyderabad-redux, one
never knows.
re#2: Not very sure what the phrase 'alienate "with" India' actually
means. Even if the intention of Ignatius (instead) was to use the
phrase 'align with India', there is NO way Mario Soares could have
physically held a referendum in Goa in 1974. So, why for Heaven's sake
bring that up with Mario Soares.
It is worth repeating that the best we Goans can do for themselves
now, is study and work hard to be the best we can be in our chosen
vocationa or professions, and be absolutely honest in our dealings
with others, their funds and their land. Countless Goans have done
that for decades. They have faced adversity and have not always had it
easy. However,over the years they have earned respect from the various
societies in which they made their homes.
jc
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