1: Stephen Dias wrote: Statement made by Dy Chief Minister Francisco d"Sousa and Minister of PWD Sudin Dhavalikar on Hindutava in the floor of assembly was irrelevant and offensive for the minorities group in India especially in Goa.
2: Joe Lobo wrote: When a politician speaks , ..... you have to understand that he speaks " out both sides of his mouth "........he hopes to deceive everybody so that he is voted in the next time...........most politicians are more interestd in their own survival in power than the interests of their constituents. 3: Venantius Pinto wrote: Personally, I see myself as a Hindu Christian, but have never expected any one to see themselves that way. I also know what I am doing and that to me, and for myself is what matters COMMENT: There is a well known Bollywood film dance choreographer and director now known as Remo D'Souza. He was born Ramesh Gopi in Gujarat. He changed his name and took his wife's surname when he converted to Christianity. In the field of cricket is the former Pakistani cricket captain Yousuf Youhana who converted from Christianity to Islam and changed his name to Mohammad Yousuf. How one chooses to worship, if one does so, and/or how one chooses to live one's life is one's own business as long as No One Else is harmed by it. The above are examples of personal choices. It is very similar to Venantius' position on himself. I do not agree with Stephen Dias. Furthermore, I am not sure WHY 'irrelevant' statements should be considered offensive. I agree with Joe Lobo. There are many folks who "dress for and speak according to the location, occasion and audience". That is how politicians and some others operate. There is, however, one point of concern with reference to religious bigots: Give them power and they will subjugate you, be it by way of the Apartheid caste system of India, the imposition of modified languages (as in hyperSanskritized Hindi & Konkani or hyperPersianized Urdu), forced Merger of states, destruction of religious worship sites and forced conversions in this allegedly modern era...et al Francisco d'Souza and Wilfred Mesquita are exactly who they are....on a given day or during a given season. They are politicians. What they say is not really offensive. Nobody of import take such statements from them seriously. jc