Many thanks Pedro for your brief and summarized explanation of the Act and its purpose.
Your link to the video provided an enlightening context to the circumstances in Portugal and Europe that gave birth to it. It was the 1930s and our Antonio was probably riding on the chariot of the expectation of world domination that was already germinating in the minds of his buddies Adolf and Benito. Otherwise there was no other sensible explanation that required such a regressive piece of legislation intended to replace a chapter of the existing constitution. It also made no sense to replace a smooth law with a potentially disruptive change. It was an informative video even if with my inadequate Portuguese I followed along no more than 25% of the contents. I was fortunate to find on a Google search a very nice explanation via an article by Sushila Mendes in a Goa newspaper that described that event while in the last paragraph providing one more explanation, a raison d’être if one could could call it, of John de Figueiredo’s Declaration Statement in protest of the Act, that started this discussion. https://www.navhindtimes.in/2023/01/29/magazines/panorama/lessons-from-history-acto-colonial/ Thanks to all. Roland, Toronto. On Wed, Jul 10, 2024 at 10:29 PM 'Pedro Mascarenhas' via Goa-Research-Net < [email protected]> wrote: > Roland > > The Colonial Act, which will form part of the future Constitution of 1933, > defines all occupied territories as an Empire. Colonization was seen as a > divine plan for the nation and the civilizing work would be based, not on > education or religion, but on work. The Indigenous Statute was approved, > which racially, socially and culturally discriminated against natives and > gave them the conditions for acquiring citizenship. > > The fields become crops with a single and obligatory culture, as was the > case with cotton in Angola and Mozambique, with the black population forced > to cultivate it to the detriment of their own subsistence. Hunger, disease > and violence against the natives became widespread, which would later give > rise to the first legitimate revolts against the Portuguese State, as > happened in the north of Angola, in 1961, with the peasants of Baixa do > Cassange. > > > Video. > > > https://ensina.rtp.pt/artigo/o-imperio-de-salazar/ > > > > On Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 12:53:28 PM GMT+1, Roland Francis < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > It would be useful to refresh our memories if you could give us an idea of > the harm done to Goans and their aspirations with the Acto Colonial. > Thanks. > > Roland > > > On Mon, Jul 8, 2024 at 10:08 PM John de Figueiredo < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > To Roland: > Forgot to tell you that the Declaration was not initiated by the > Government Council. Dr. Oliveira Salazar had asked all Government Councils > of the overseas territories for their opinions on the Acto Colonial. The > Declaration was a response to that request. It is a legal document. It > speaks highly for Menezes Bragança that he was able to contain his > indignation at the Acto Colonial and draft a relatively mild criticism with > a relatively modest request for greater autonomy. Although the Declaration > was a voice in the desert, the fact that it exists in the annals of our > history is a big deal, and in my opinion, the greatest deal in the history > of Goa. > John M. de Figueiredo > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jul 7, 2024, at 1:51 PM, Roland Francis <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Thank you for that interesting addendum. I now realize the importance of > that Declaration document. > Sometimes the demand for self-respect can be more powerful than that of > any Act that proscribes it. > > Roland Francis > 416-453-3371 > > > On Sat, Jul 6, 2024 at 11:56 PM John de Figueiredo < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Roland, > A small correction. The document mentioned in my article was not a letter. > It was a declaration signed by the four democratically elected members of > the Government Council. This declaration was approved unanimously by the > Government Council in a session that took place on July 4, 1930, chaired by > Governor Joao Carlos Craveiro Lopes. The document did not just reject the > Acto Colonial. It asserted that we, Goans, do not give up our fundamental > human right of self-determination. After he returned to Portugal, Governor > Craveiro Lopes (father of future President of the Portuguese Republic > Francisco Higinio Craveiro Lopes) publicly condemned the Acto Colonial, > risking being disciplined by the military and sent to jail. (To my > knowledge, this never happened.) > John M. de Figueiredo > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jul 6, 2024, at 9:33 AM, Roland Francis <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > Historically the letter of protest would have taken much courage and > caused repercussion to its signatories, but are you sure it should have > been a Day of Joy for Goans? > It made no dent in Salazar’s thinking (although that was Salazar’s fault, > not theirs) not was it responsible for the ultimate repeal of that Act, so > what is it that we should be celebrating. > > Roland Francis > 416-453-3371 > > > On Fri, Jul 5, 2024 at 8:03 AM JOHN DE FIGUEIREDO <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Attached is an article that may be of interest. > > John M. de Figueiredo > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/1716574243.695219.1720157593323%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/1716574243.695219.1720157593323%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bx1-5QWCxttPttXgQdpGbgyYRgmfdt3SiVS06sH%2BptvSEdGVQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bx1-5QWCxttPttXgQdpGbgyYRgmfdt3SiVS06sH%2BptvSEdGVQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/5C2F81D4-7BAE-4569-B520-12C52329AEE0%40sbcglobal.net > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/5C2F81D4-7BAE-4569-B520-12C52329AEE0%40sbcglobal.net?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bx1-5RjgaCGnAU9-_6mRGXXcLQWXz-Z3kG1XMdvJVKMYFx5%2BQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bx1-5RjgaCGnAU9-_6mRGXXcLQWXz-Z3kG1XMdvJVKMYFx5%2BQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/A2CBD127-BFF6-4AA2-B36F-91849F96AB4D%40sbcglobal.net > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/A2CBD127-BFF6-4AA2-B36F-91849F96AB4D%40sbcglobal.net?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bx1-5RPjx1dT42t1Dp%2B5Txwtc9SpUmjcNUi1TrSKgBXU4iYQg%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bx1-5RPjx1dT42t1Dp%2B5Txwtc9SpUmjcNUi1TrSKgBXU4iYQg%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/2123385775.2589603.1720608231088%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/2123385775.2589603.1720608231088%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bx1-5SfuoBNpFVAX%3D9ga09WE2OKB-Hm7uVqSD%2BtiKCyCWA6%3Dg%40mail.gmail.com.
