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Paulo,
I am glad you recognize the wide spectrum in a population who seeks to get rid
of their foreign masters and be independent. You seem to oscillate between
loyalty to Salazar (and his regime) and your intellectual analysis of the facts
in Goa. Hope this dialogue will help crystallize in your mind that there is no
defense for imprisonment without trial and an appeal process. And there was a
lot of injustice in Goa 1950-61.
No amount of injustice in other parts of the world can reduce the pain and
suffering of a victim and their family of judicial injustice. No intelligent
judge would label and treat a "violent terrorist" and a "peaceful
freedom-fighters" in "the same way". This judge needs to get his / her head
examined, unless these judges are brain-washed by the system around them. A
judge's responsibility and duty is to provide justice to the victim and not
some interpretation of the law as his master would dictate. Your initial post
dismisses the "innocent victims" as unfortunate, which also occurs in today's
world in America. (see below). Then you have the audacity to ask what a good
doctor would do for his patients.
I was looking forward to where in the spectrum of freedom fighters would you
place Dr. Gaitonde and his ""Eu Protesto / I protest" statement at a social
party as his sole offence. You and others dismiss him as not being a real
freedom fighter, yet do not condemn his punishment. Similarly your defense of
the PIDE for arresting innocent Goans in the villages shows the regime had lost
touch with Goan life. Even in 1950s Goans had a right not to be subjected to
police brutality. The real terrorists were the secret PIDE, Goan police and
the judicial system that protected them. I wish you and others condemned them
instead of being their apologist.
Specifically to your post below (and my quarrel with you) is your statement,
"The regime would label them all as terrorists." In case you forgot, that
REGIME included the Goan judges and the Goan judicial system that cooperated
with the Salazar. So if I was a progeny of these judges, I would be sorry for
the pain and suffering caused by my recent ancestors for all the innocent
victims and their families. I would bow my head in shame and apologize, instead
of trying to defend the indefensible and further insult our intelligence. You
should be lucky that Goans are a forgiving people.
Kind Regards, GL
-------------- Paulo Colaco Dias wrote:
I did not call the freedom-fighters terrorists (although some of them were!).
The only thing I said is that at that time (pre-1961), being a freedom-fighter
in Goa was the same as being a terrorist today. The regime would label them all
as terrorists.
Let me ask you, what are the Kashmir freedom-fighters today? Some of them are
terrorists, aren't they? Others will be peaceful freedom-fighters but even
India today (2007) will label them all as terrorists and will probably act in
the same way to each one of them (innocent or not). Not true?
--------------- Gilbert Lawrence wrote:
There is a wide span ranging from a silent bystander, to a silent protestor, to
an activist in thought, to a non-violent freedom fighter, to being a terrorist
engaging in violence. I am surprised and disappointed that Paulo in 2007
(knowing the history from Gandhi to Martin Luther to Mandela) would provide
just two categories of "freedom fighters" - terrorist or innocent victim.
---------- 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?
