Dr Pacheco de Figueiredo thank you very much for your very detailed and organised commentaries. Appreciated.
Best regards and a wonderful Sunday. Sonia On Sun, 12 Jul, 2026, 11:44 am JOHN DE FIGUEIREDO, <[email protected]> wrote: > To "Alberto": I do not usually address comments made by people who do not > give their full names, but I will open an exception because your message > raises some important issues worth examining. > > "The 13 colonies revolted against England because they refused to be > considered second-class citizens. Whites born in America were forming a > resistance against the white colonizers who imposed high taxes. The true > Americans, the so-called Indians, were meanwhile being exterminated." > > *I am not an expert in the history of the United States so I cannot > comment on this in detail. I can say, however, that history is a process > and today the United States is a far “more perfect Union” (to borrow the > expression of the authors of the US Constitution) than it was in 1776. Let > us not forget that the Portuguese found in Goa a caste system legitimized > by religion in which an entire segment of the population was condemned to > perpetual servitude, a system that even the Jesuits and Christianization > could not completely erase. So let us pause before we cast stones on other > countries.* > > "In Goa during the Portuguese colonial regime, there never were > "democratically elected representatives of the people of Goa." > > *Sounds like “Alberto” believes that the history of Goa started on 28 May > 1926 when the “Revolução Nacional” (National Revolution) in Portugal > established the “Estado Novo.” But as we all know, the history of Goa is > much longer than that. Between 1822 and 1926 (i.e., for 104 years) the > elections in Goa were democratic and they were fair. In fact, they were so > fair that in one of the elections Bernardo Peres da Silva (a Goan) defeated > the Viceroy of Portuguese India (a European) who had decided to run to stop > Peres da Silva. It was during this period that the people of Goa elected > distinguished Parliamentarians like Bernardo Peres da Silva, António > Caetano Pacheco, Francisco Luis Gomes, Cristóvão Pinto, Prazeres da Costa, > and many others. After 1926 and during the Estado Novo the elections were > rigged, but they were rigged everywhere in the Portuguese Nation, not just > in Goa.* > > "Only Christians were well regarded by the unelected government in > Lisbon, and most Hindus in Goa were treated with disdain." > > *This is not correct. To give a few examples, in the 16th and 17th > centuries, Goan Hindus occupied key positions in every trade and profession > more so than Christians. Goan Hindus were praised by the Portuguese for > their skill, and the Portuguese preferred them to the Goan Christians. > Later, many Goan Hindus received titles of nobility awarded by the King of > Portugal (Barão Dempó, Visconde Quencró, Visconde de Perném, etc.). More > recently, Panduronga Pissurlencar was awarded a well-deserved honorary > Doctorate (“Doutor Honoris Causa”) by the University of Lisbon. The Rao > family had monopoly of the cinema business in Goa for many years as owners > of the “Cine Teatro Nacional.” Even Dayanand Bandodkar was allowed to build > a big business in the mining industry in Goa. This does not mean that there > was no racism or discrimination in Goa. The 451-year history of the > Portuguese rule in Goa is complex, full of paradoxes, contradictions, and > upheavals, not easily amenable to simplistic generalizations.* > > "As for "it is the 96th anniversary of the Goan Declaration of > Self-Determination," only a minority group of Christians defended that > declaration." > > *Where is the data to support this statement? The Declaration was issued > by democratically **elected Representatives to the Government Council, > and they spoke on behalf of the people of Goa.* > > "The majority, through integration with Mother India, was led by Ram > Manohar Lohia, Julião Meneses, T.B. Cunha, Luís Menezes Bragança, Evágrio > George, P.D. Gaitonde, and even Jack Sequeira." > > *This is also not correct. There was never a plebiscite in Goa, and > therefore, we do not know what the majority of Goans wanted, and, sadly, we > will never know. Ram Manohar Lohia was not a Goan and his entry into Goa > was repudiated by several Goans in a statement published in the newspaper > “A Vida.” Pedro Correia Afonso wrote this statement, and among the > signatories was his brother Francisco Correia Afonso. You may want to read > “Goa: A Terceira Corrente” by Mário Bruto da Costa where he discusses this > in detail. Luis de Menezes Bragança was never in favor of transferring the > sovereignty of Goa to India or any other nation. As far as I know, Jack > Sequeira was never involved in politics until after the annexation of Goa > in India. Jack Sequeira played a major role after the annexation of Goa. > Had it not been for Jack Sequeira, Goa would have been a colony of > Maharashtra.* > > "António Anastásio Bruto da Costa, a landowner and admirer of Salazar, > did not want a break with Lisbon and defended dependence with limited > autonomy from foreigners, second-class citizens." > > *I did not speak of Bruto da Costa in my article or my post. I doubt he > was an admirer of Salazar. From reading “Goa: A Terceira Corrente” I am > under the impression that he treated Salazar with respect, but he was firm > in his opposition to the dictatorship and the “Acto Colonial,” and > therefore, he followed the political tradition of Menezes Bragança. On the > other hand, you, “Alberto” should admire and applaud Salazar. In his “Acto > Colonial” Salazar said exactly what you said: that the Goans to “objects of > possession” of the Portuguese, a position that was condemned by Menezes > Bragança and Bruto da Costa.* > > "Goa, today, as one of the states of India, is governed by Goans elected > democratically. The rulers are natives of Goa and speak Konkani, and Lisbon > does not send a governor-general who only spoke Portuguese and defended > foreign interests." > > *Obviously, you are entitled to your views on this. Just remember that as > of this date, Bernardo Peres da Silva, whom I consider as the greatest > leader Goa has ever known, remains as the only Goan who had the distinction > of being Governor of Goa. He lasted only 3 weeks, not because of the racism > of the Portuguese, as it was falsely stated by respected historians like > Teotónio de Sousa and Leopoldo da Rocha. He was deposed by Absolutists > because he was a Liberal. Many Portuguese Europeans and their descendants > were slaughtered because they defended him. Several Portuguese Europeans > followed him in his exile, and the Editor of the newspaper that defended > him was a Portuguese European. These facts are shoved under the rug by some > historians because they did not find them politically palatable.* > *Last, but not least, I am a historian, not a politician. I am a firm > believer that research in history should be based on impartial > interpretation of data, and not on the personal beliefs or ideologies of > the historians or on political expediency. * > > John M. de Figueiredo > > > > On Friday, July 10, 2026 at 10:59:19 AM EDT, John de Figueiredo < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > Who is “Alberto”? Tell me your name please. > JM de Figueiredo > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jul 10, 2026, at 5:02 AM, 'Alberto' via Goa-Research-Net < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > John > > The 13 colonies revolted against England because they refused to be > considered second-class citizens. Whites born in America were forming a > resistance against the white colonizers who imposed high taxes. The true > Americans, the so-called Indians, were meanwhile being exterminated. > > In Goa during the Portuguese colonial regime, there never were > "democratically elected representatives of the people of Goa." Only > Christians were well regarded by the unelected government in Lisbon, and > most Hindus in Goa were treated with disdain. As for "it is the 96th > anniversary of the Goan Declaration of Self-Determination," only a minority > group of Christians defended that declaration. > > The majority, through integration with Mother India, was led by Ram > Manohar Lohia, Julião Meneses, T.B. Cunha, Luís Menezes Bragança, Evágrio > George, P.D. Gaitone, and even Jack Sequeira. > > António Anastásio Bruto da Costa, a landowner and admirer of Salazar, did > not want a break with Lisbon and defended dependence with limited autonomy > from foreigners, second-class citizens. > > Goa, today, as one of the states of India, is governed by Goans elected > democratically. The rulers are natives of Goa and speak Konkani, and Lisbon > does not send a governor-general who only spoke Portuguese and defended > foreign interests. > > A day of joy for Goans occurred on 19/12/1961. > > Alberto > > > > -- > 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, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/20260708120456.Horde.ccxY4P-W4DUD8gRedG913lI%40mail.sapo.pt > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/20260708120456.Horde.ccxY4P-W4DUD8gRedG913lI%40mail.sapo.pt?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, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/1993518642.360559.1783836806184%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/1993518642.360559.1783836806184%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. 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