Waghela, Congratulations on your post. Thanks for telling the Goans the truth. I hope you would also send a response to Parrakar the VCD maker. Besides have a very nice time in secular Portugal.
BTW my post was a sarky. I hope you understand what that means! Kind regards B. Colaco > The author of this message seems to be a > rumour-spreader, a cheap scandal- > monger par excellence. Accordding to him, the > Portuguese Government, is to > start a massive programme of conversion of more than > 50000 gujarati hindus as > a consequence of publishing of a hypothetical > anti-Catholic VCD, and therefore > the hindus of Portugal are trying to abandon the > country. Still, according to > the author of the message, the Goan Government is > recommissionning INS Vikrant > to help bring back all hindus who fear the acts of > forced conversion, and want > to leave the country. > > As a Gujarati Hindu living in Portugal for over 20 > years, I would like to > refute the contents of the above message. It is > totally false and baseless. > The real facts, for all to see and verify, are as > follows: > 1.. Only about a little over 6000 Gujarati Hindus > live in Portugal, from > North to South; (a far cry from the «more than > 50000») > 2.. From 1974 Revoltuion onwards, Portugal is > governed under a secular > Constitution which gives equal rights to all its > citizens, irrespective of > their faith. People of all faiths live here in > complete liberty, carry out > their profissional and religious activities in > great harmony and mutual > respect. There is no harrassment whatsoever either > from the Government or > other faith with majority. > 3.. The Hindus here have their Temples and carry > on all religious activities > under the guidance of a shashtriji, with daily > worships and celebrations of > religious festivals, where even people of other > faiths participate with joy > and respect. > 4.. We commemorate anniversaries of our chosen > deities and we celebrate > marriages with great pomp. We have parties and > gatherings. We have lunches > and dinners where our non-hindu guests participate > freely. We have our > periodic «kathas» and recitations from «shashtras» > by the prominent > authorities like Shri Morari Bapu. > 5.. Even as recently as November, 2004 the > «Secretariado Entreculturas, > Ministerio da Educacao» published a Guide of Visits > to Religious Places of all > faiths in Lisbon, and where a visit to our > RADHAKRISHNA TEMPLE is described in > great detail. > In face of the above realities, I wonder where Mr. > Bernardo Colaco found > his «tsunami» wave of massive forced conversion of > the Hindus living in > Portugal. > > ___________________________________________________________ ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com