Gilbert contradicts himself by claiming that there are too little analytical and statistical facts on Goa and too many opinions and stories. But he, himself, is one of the opinion makers based on nothing else but a lusophobia largely unjustifiable.
There are some good statistical and analytical data on Goa pre-1961 for those who care and can read and understand Portuguese language. One cannot talk about Goa alone without fully understanding the whole Portuguese reality 1500s-1961 and its relations with the English, the Dutch and the French. The following are few of many good introductory Portuguese language references: 1. A India Portugueza - A. Lopes Mendes 2. Historia de Goa (Politica e Arqueologica) - M. J. Gabriel de Saldanha 3. "Dossier Goa - A recusa do sacrificio inutil", Vassalo e Silva. After reading and understanding these, you will certainly start looking at the other side of the coin. For those who believe that Portugal was getting richer with Goa and not contributing anything for Goa's development, here are some factual statistics for the later stage of Portuguese rule (1950s-1961). These will probably answer some questions and clear some doubts: 1. The size of Goa, Damao and Diu together was about 4,000 square Kms, which represented 0.18% of the vast total area of Portugal and overseas provinces (total 2,200,000 square Kms) 2. The population of Goa, Damao and Diu together accounted for 600,000 people, which represented 3% of the total population Portugal and overseas provinces (20,000,000) 3. Commerce between Portugal and Portuguese India represented about 0.75 per mil (not per cent but per mil!) of the total Portuguese commercial relations elsewhere. 4. There is a precise figure of commercial relations for 1953. In 1953 Portugal contributed with about 10,000,000 escudos in merchandise to Portuguese India and received only about 1,000,000 escudos of merchandise from Portuguese India in that year. 5. Estado da India Portuguesa used to export about 0.5% to Portugal and overseas provinces and import about 10% from Portugal and overseas provinces. 6. In comparison, Estado da India Portuguesa used to export about 40% to the Indian Union and import about 20% from the Indian Union. The reference for this data is: "Dossier Goa - A recusa do sacrificio inutil", Vassalo e Silva, 1975, pp. 37-38. Vassalo e Silva claims that Portuguese India had practically no value in the economy and demography of Portugal and its provinces. On the contrary, Portuguese India represented a deficit in the Portuguese economy, i.e., Portugal was giving much more than what was getting back from Portuguese India (p. 38). The author also claimed that no trace of economic or political imperialism could be found in the administration and judicial system in the later stage of Portuguese rule (i.e., as you must know, the Civil Administration and Judicial Systems were run almost in its entirety by native Goans). The Portuguese interests in keeping Estado da India Portuguesa, according to the author and according to Salazar himself, were purely moral to the benefit of Goans as Portuguese citizens and their personal contribution to the Portuguese Nation. Vassalo e Silva quotes the words of Salazar: "The small Estado da India is effectively a province of Portugal in which one can trace the origin of some of the most important contributors to Universal History" (p. 38). On the eve of the Invasion (1961), why did so many Goans deposited their gold in the safes of BNU for safe keeping? What did they fear that did not actually happen? How many shops and houses were broken into? How many Goan girls were raped by the uncontrolled Indian army? How many goods were stolen from Goa, in particular, modern western models of cars which could hardly be seen in India pre 1961? Was it this that Salazar feared? The common error when judging why Portugal did not make more for Goa pre-1961, is the wrong belief people have that Portugal was much better than Goa at that time and was keeping Goa because of the income it derived from Goa. This is totally incorrect as demonstrated by the above mentioned figures. Countryside Portugal (pre-1961) and overseas provinces were very much like countryside Goa (pre-1961). I am talking about lack of electricity, water infrastructure, paved roads, etc. Goans are still under the impression that rural Goa was very much under-developed whilst rural Portugal was very much developed. Such is a common misconception. One should not judge why Portugal did not make more for Goa pre-1961 if one does not know the reality of Portugal and its overseas provinces before 1961. Rural Portugal and overseas provinces were very much under-developed themselves (lack of proper water infrastructure and paved roads) even in the 1970s. And I do not think that India was better than Goa in 1961. The improvements only came much after 1961. My village in Goa only had telephone lines installed 5 or 6 years ago. And large villages like Benaulim for example did not have a proper water infrastructure even in the late 1980s, Where most houses still had to draw water from the well everyday (more than 20 years after the end of Portuguese rule). Gabriel is right. Goans enjoyed full citizenship rights since mid XVIII century which did not happen to the other territories in Africa, for example. This was only interrupted with the Salazar's shameful colonial act (between 1930s up to 1951 - Hence the intervention of Prof. Froilano de Mello demanding Salazar to re-instate full citizenship rights to Goans - Does this answer Gilbert's question????). Also, it is important to note that Goa and the other territories in Portuguese India constituted from the very beginning a state of Portugal (Estado Portugues da India) and, therefore, enjoyed a better status than the other colonies. Goans were always considered of great intellect by the Portuguese and many of them studied and achieved great deeds in Portugal and in the world and were sent for high administration jobs not only in Portugal but in Portuguese provinces (Mozambique being a specific example of very large Goan administration and presence), including in Goa itself where they dominated the Civil Administration and Judicial System, especially towards the end of Portuguese rule. Gilbert refers to the need of Goans to migrate pre-1961 because there was no future for them in Goa even though native Goans were in power in the Civil Administration of Goa. Maybe he ignores the fact that the native Portuguese themselves from mainland Portugal are one of the most migrant people in the world, having historically migrated in very large numbers outside Portugal. Also, Salazar's true moral intention of protecting Goans and their full Portuguese citizenship rights in 1961 (mentioned above) was later confirmed by governmental decree in 1975 after a free Portugal officially recognised the annexation of Portuguese India by the Indian Union. In a unique case worldwide, Goans were indeed given the option to retain their full Portuguese citizenship rights ad eternum (indefinitely) (Decreto-Lei n. 308-A/1975, 24th June - "Lei da Nacionalidade Portuguesa" - Diário do Governo I Série - Número 143 Terça Feira 24 de Junho de 1975). The same option was not given to anyone else from the other Portuguese overseas provinces. Thousands of Goans have taken advantage of this and are today full Portuguese citizens. Many more are still exercising their right and re-acquiring full Portuguese citizenship - and migrating outside India. The young generation is thankful to Portugal for this and their appreciation is visible even at the level of Goan Konkani Teatro (ref: item "Obrigado Portugal" - Jose Rod, Antonette Mendes, Nelson Jr and company from the Konkani Musical Show "Goencho Avaz", recently presented in the UK, Canada and Germany) So, in the same terms used by Gilbert, does this mean that the large numbers of Goans migrating today are not happy with the government of India? How many Indians from all over India have migrated to the west? Gilbert says "80% of young Goan men had to leave Goa for post-graduate education and jobs until 1960". Does this mean that 80% of Goan male population left Goa? Does that really make any sense? I agree that several episodes of Portuguese rule in India were dark and evil, especially in the earlier centuries. However, the Portuguese also contributed with several benefits to our people and to our culture, which believe it or not, will not easily dilute. The capacity to absorb, understand the pos and cons and keep an open mind about everything is, unfortunately, a skill that most of us do not have. Some of us in this forum will always refuse to review our conceptions (or shall I say misconceptions?) or attempt to learn with other people's contributions. For those, counter arguments are useless and will reach nowhere. Those of us who blatantly fail to even attempt to see reason do not deserve to see it at all. Having returned to this forum after a period of absence, I see that nothing much changed. It is about time we that all of us start concentrating in exploring ways to improve the future of Goa, Goan culture, Goan identity and Goan life while it still exists, rather than dwell in a past that, over and over again, manages to divide us. So, lets get together and see what we can do for the future of Goa, today a part of India but with an intrinsic own culture that proudly defines us all in the world, wherever we are. We lack more activities like the Goan World Day that should not only unite us all culturally but also contribute to the welfare of Goa and Goans back home. Best regards Paulo Colaco Dias. *************** >Gilbert Lawrence wrote: 18 August 2005 20:05 > >My reading of Newman's writings is: There are too much of "opinions" and >stories (kaneos) and too little analytic and statistical facts on Goa, its >people and its life. Perhaps this is what anthropology is! > > >My reading of Figueiredo's writings is that he gives too much credit to the >Portuguese pre and post-1947 and for "the Goeses were Cidades Portugueses, >like it or not." Perhaps native Goans did have Portuguese citizenships and >a few had a passport. Yet only the native Goans who belonged to the feudal >families enjoyed all the privileges that come with citizenship - "The >Landed Gentry." Why were there paved roads, water, sewage and electricity >ONLY in Panjim? (Supposedly the best in the world!) > >Yet as last reported, long after 1947, Goa's representative to Portugal's >parliament, Senhor DeMello made a specific request to the govt. to grant >Goans the same privileges as the native Portuguese; only to be told "we >will study that request." This is what was presented and dialogued on this >cyber-forum only a few months ago. So my question to Gabriel, if "the >Goeses were Cidades Portugueses, like it or not" what was Dr. DeMello >asking for, as the records of Lisbon's parliament show? > >I still find it difficult to understand that if Goa under the Portuguese >was good, how come 80% of young Goan men had to leave Goa for post-graduate >education and jobs until 1960? What was the thinking of native Goan >leaders of the period? Or they just did not care for the masses; after all >their own kin were doing just fine. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.12/77 - Release Date: 18/08/2005