Hi Sachin Phadte, Thank you for today's posts and for the honest and civil responses. I could have continued this polite dialogue in private, but you make some very important points which could be educational to us all. Hence I hope my replies to you are not perceived as tit-for-tat or as a gotcha reaction.
SP: Gilbert asks whether the churches were built on the EXACT spot where the temples stood. I do not know for a fact, Response: I did ask this question and I appreciate your honest answer. SP: but it would seem obvious that if a temple was destroyed to build a church in its place, then the spot where the church would be built should be the EXACT spot. Response: I would contend the issue that the temple was destroyed just to build a church when there is/was so much other land available to do so. I pointed in my prior posts the religious reasons why the Church would not want to do so. SP: Such things have happened not only in Goa, but in other parts of India and the world. Response: When these occurred, they were the rare exceptions rather than the rule. You of course would not get that impression from reading the "off the cuff" posts by Goans on this net.:=)) SP: In any case, to ask whether the church was built on the EXACT spot is, I think, hair-splitting. Response: This is not hair splitting. It is the precise issue at Babri Masjid which has case so much of pain, suffering and agony in several other states in India. SP: Particularly so, when I said that destruction of temples and building churches on them is a part of history. Response: To claim that a church was built on a temple without a solid basis in the current environment in India is very inflammatory and not helpful for peace. We cannot make such statements and then blame the 'bhaile' for the disturbances in our towns and villages. Comments: I would be delighted if many new Hindu and other temples were built in Goa of the exact replica of the ones destroyed. It would be great for Goa and for its tourism. But unfortunately this is not the issue. Regards, Gilbert. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
