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Hi Paulo,
Thanks for your responses. I can see the many difficulties you point out.
However, here are some thoughts.
A physician's responsibility is to take care of the health and well being of
the patient. This supercedes his / her responsibility to uphold the policies
and procedures of the hospital or his / her employer. At times, it takes a
principled doctor to take a stand and provide the lead.
For any person of authority to say "Merely following orders or fulfilling my
oath" is to use the military / Nazi defense. Clearly one cannot have it both
ways in saying, "they had an oath to uphold Portuguese laws", and also, "they
were Goan" and were interested to uphold Goa's interest.
Did intelligent / high ranking Goan civil servants keep up with contemporary
political / historical events across Asia?
Were the events in Pondicherry widely discussed in Govt. building corridors in
pre-1961 Goa?
At some point did these "outstanding Goans" ask, "What is good for 'my people',
if not for my progeny?"
Did their conscience and intelligence, (as community leaders) say, "how can I
help achieve what is good for my land?"
Or at worst did they expect someone else to do the fighting and dying, while
they expected to keep or advance in their jobs?
>From the responses posted, it looks none of these issues ever surfaced. The
>above was moot, because Portugal's interests overlapped their own personal /
>vested interest. Yet there are times when persons have sacrificed their
>personal interest for the greater interest, like Dr. Gaitonde. And the list
>can go on with many freedom fighters who paid with their life for the sake of
>future generations.
Imagine if the entire Goa civil servant bureaucracy had a walk-out, just like
the government officials in 1954 Pondicherry or for that matter in
pre-independence (pre-1947) India? Was this ever contemplated or talked about
IN GOA?
Yes, one can call it a "civil service mutiny". So while Goans blame Salazar or
Nehru (depending on which side of the political divide they stand), I hold the
"Goan empregados" responsible for propping up Salazar's regime in Goa, which
then forced Nehru's hand. Except for the freedom fighters, I can appreciate
Goans failing to blame themselves; and the progeny of the empregados and
fidalgos doing their best of defend their "family name".
Activists judges do make the laws, by declaring a law or practice
unconstitutional, immoral or illegal. It took judges in the USA (rather than
elected politicians, governors or President) to end school segregation, and
nullify many discriminatory laws which target, especially penalize or are
burdensome to one group of people. In many landmark cases, the judges reversed
prior major Supreme Court rulings if not the Presidents' edict. I guess that is
why we remember them as outstanding judges. And they are in the history books
to be emulated by future generations.
Paulo and others have provided simple answers to my stupid, yet deep
philosophical questions. And I thank you for sparing your time.
Kind Regards, GL
---------- Paulo Colaco Dias wrote:
Are you talking about those who were arrested and were not freedom fighters?
If yes, then I would say they were victims of an error of justice just like
today there are so many innocent people that get arrested and are convicted
just because the jury has decided they are guilty even though there are no
conclusive evidence against them.
A Judge is someone who makes sure the law is followed. They pledged their lives
to serve their country and the law of that country. I cannot understand your
question. Would you want the judges to be freedom fighters? That does not make
sense. To be a freedom fighter in those days was the same as to be a terrorist
today. Hence, asking Goan Justices to be freedom fighters (ie terrorists) would
be the same as asking a doctor to ill-treat patients. I am sure it is not
difficult for you to understand this. As a doctor you would not violate your
main oaths, would you? So, why did you expect the Goan Justices to do so?
GL > Could the Goan bureaucracy led by its the "Goan Chief Justice" and other
high ranking Goan civil servants brought any sense to Salazar to follow the
Pondicherry Model .... without any invasion.
PAULO> I think you miss the point. Goan Justices would not do that because that
would go against their main oaths of their profession.
