So Selma agrees tht Lohia was a "national figure". Did his oming to Goa spurred
the Goan freedom movement or not?
It is true indeed that Lohia did NOT start the fight for Goa's liberation, but
like other leaders such as Madhu Limaye, etc. he took deep interest in Goa's
freedom struggle. BTW, who is called the "Father of Goa's freedom movement"? Is
it Lohia, dear Selma?
Goa's liberation movement was supported and abetted by Indians and, hence, it
was a part of Indian nationalist movement. The Indian freedom struggle for
independence from British rule ran parallel to Goa's freedom struggle from
Portuguese rule.
If you should know Selma, Goa's freedom movement was run mostly from Bombay,
which was part of British India. Goan freedom fighters made repeated trips to
Delhi to plan strategies and seek advice from national leaders.
To the best of my knowledge I don't think Goan Catholic national heroes have
been forgotten. If some Goans think so, the fault is theirs. They live in
history and are not "written off". All past history lives in dusty archives for
scholars to dig into and arrive at whatever conclusions they can.
It is not a "convenient myth", but rather true that the majority of Goan
Catholics were pro-Portuguese. A small segment was pro-India and a smaller
segment was for "free Goa" or "independent Goa".
>From muddled thinking, comes Selma's assertion that Goan Catholics are
>"marginalised". Are not Goan Catholics politicians playing influential roles
>in running the state?
Are Goan Catholics deprived of their rice-and-curry?
Discrimination may exist at certain levels, particularly in the process of
hiring for government services, etc, but that does mean "marginalisation."
Goan Catholics are very much part of the mainstream. Selma and I as overseas
Goans can perhaps be seen as living on the "margins" with little or no stake in
today's Goa. There's no point in mixing issues -- let the freedom struggle
stand on itself. If you have a beef against the freedom fighters association, I
think you should write specifically where it has failed or why it is
insignificant.
But again, who the bleep cares if Selma shoots from the mouth?
Eugene
