Goa's Secret Exposed- Part II Goa's Inquisition Part II Detailed statistics of GOA'S INQUISITION: >From 1600 to 1773 (173 Years) a total of 4046 individuals were brought to the "Inquisition Justice". This is an average of 23 cases / year during this period. Of these, 3034 were men and 1012 were women. A total of 121 were burnt at the stakes. Of these, 54 were alive at the time of the undertaking and 67 had died prior to the act.
Purpose of "burning the dead at the stake" (some after exhuming the body) was to deny these individuals a Christian burial in an otherwise sacred place called the cemetery. More importantly these occasions were a major spectacle so as to be A DETERRENCE and to maintain 'law and order' for other citizens- natives and non-natives. 'Burning the dead at the stakes' is a powerful reminder that justices can catch-up with individuals even after they are dead. Since Hindus cremate their dead, these 67 individuals are unlikely to be Hindus- a fact that contradicts one respondent on this subject that the Inquisition did not affect Christians. "Burning at the stake" was after an elaborate theatrical spectacle with all the pomp and ceremony of colonialism and with religious and civilian powers as witnesses/spectators at events called the "Auto-da-Fe". These were truly extravagant events for the locals (citizenry and the civilian and military authorities) and the tourists/ visitors alike and are so recorded in their writings and accounts. Like any tourist novel /account there may be some embellishment in the documentation of the event. Goa's and India's penchant for long religious processions were always a curiosity to many a European visitor. Further more elaborations by successors who wrote a book/ text or web page on the original book are also likely to have occurred. Auto-da-Fe was an impressive and stunning affair for the locals because the chief purpose of the Inquisition and the "Auto-da-Fe" was to induce fear, be a strong deterrence AND MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER. As current Goans who resided in Goa during Portuguese rule (pre-1961) will remember, their police action was swift, slap/beat the suspect then question the what, why and how of the crime/event. This is not modern justice and especially to the innocent it was 'excessive'. But it was 'swift justice' and there was 'law and order' by deterrence. Most Goans with this past experience and comparing the two forms of police-justice overwhelmingly prefer the colonial "law and order of the Portuguese" (not the extreme of the Inquisition) to the current processes of civil liberties and legal formalities of democracy. As reported on this net, now there is no 'law and order' in Goa; and 'justice delayed is justice denied' be it in Goa, India or in the USA. Gilbert Lawrence. Goa's Secret Compared - Goa's Inquisition Part III (to follow) ########################################################################## # 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 # ##########################################################################
