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Remembering Aquino Braganca (b. 6 April 1924), who fought for freedom
of the former Portuguese colonies in Africa. An online tribute
http://aquinobraganca.wordpress.com/ (includes many historical
references, some photographs and documents)
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Date: Sun, 5 Apr 2009 22:36:29 -0400
From: Venantius Pinto <[email protected]>
Please provide text by Gandhi refuting what two Christians have
said--Antonio Menezes and me. Do please provide. I would appreciate knowing
what Gandhi said. I am willing to be proved wrong and regard my "What
knowledge?" as faulty.
Mario responds:
Here is what Antonio Menezes derisively wrote, "To the best of my knowledge he
did not utter a single word agains the perpetrators of the worst kind of social
discrimination. I suppose for a bania to criticize brahmins would be agains
his dharmic duty. There you are sub-continental hypocrisy for you."
Here is what you said, "Excuse the segway on my part, considering that
Porbunder man has made an entry--", and, "I agree with Antonio Menezes' point,
"To the best of my knowledge he did not utter a single word against the
perpetrators of the worst kind of social discrimination." Perhaps as a lawyer
he may have sold it to his colleagues as some essential strategy.
To begin with, Antonio, to his credit, did address the subject of racism in the
Catholic church before he wandered off into the Hindu community, for no
apparent reason.
I chose not to excuse the segway by yourself because it continued Antonio's
attempt to switch the discussion to Hindus, which deflected attention from the
important discussion in this thread.
Secondly, perhaps words speak louder than actions for Antonio and yourself,
but, for me, actions speak louder than words. Thus, this is what impressed me
more than anything Gandhi may have said,
"In September 1932, while in jail, Gandhi undertook a “fast unto death” to
improve the status of the Hindu Untouchables." This is simply a fact.
Though Frederick, too, has published quotes that sound like Gandhi had no
problem with the caste system, Gandhi was clearly opposed to the unjust social
and economic aspects of the caste system, the brunt of which fell on the
Harijans.
Venantius wrote:
Its is also very interesting to hear you say, "Once again, I see some
Christians trying to deflect attention from racism in the Catholic Church, the
subject of this thread, to some other person's alleged transgressions - as if
two wrongs make a right, even if true." It is stupefying to be accused of
deflecting "attention from racism in the Catholic Church."
Mario responds:
Perhaps you would be less stupefied if you understood that this thread was
about racism in the Catholic church, not racism in the Hindu religion or
revisionist spin about Gandhi's approach to the caste system.
Unlike Antonio, you did not say a word about the topic of the thread.
Venantius wrote:
Are you for real that you accused me? Have you read what I have written in the
past.
Mario responds:
Though my memory is prodigious, I don't commit to memory every word written on
Goanet. Thus, I was responding to what had been written in this thread alone,
not what you have written in the past.
All I accused you of was changing an important discussion into another issue
with no relevence to the primary issue. Thus, I correctly described what you
called a segway as a deflection.
If you had initiated a thread with the subject, "Mahatma Gandhi was a casteist
scoundrel" I would not have been able to make the accusation of deflection.
Venantius wrote:
And I have the ability to talk directly with the Church and do. But all this is
only to help you see things and where people like me stand on certain issues --
since this is a very base accusation.
Mario responds:
Again, I was responding specifically to what was written in this thread, which,
I am forced to remind you again, was about racism in the Catholic Church, not
your segway into Hinduism or revisionist spin about "the man from Porbandar".
BTW, getting back to the subject, what do you have to say about racism in the
Catholic church?
