FN on 12 May, asks Q no: 1 Where did you get your figures of literacy from ? A: Mostly from the few non bamon priests who served the Lord to the best of their under utilized capacities. I do not know whether you lived in Goa during the period 1945 - 61. Goan society was divided as follows: a tiny minority of families ;of mestisos, bamons and few batkars who lived in Panjim, Margao and Mapusa and who were conversant with the Portuguese language. Some of them also lived in villages like Saligao, Socorro, Aldona in the north and Raia,Loutulim and Verna in the south. The other vast majority of catholics were simply ''uma malta'' for the glorious high society of colonial Goa. And ''malta'' was mostly illiterate with a few educated in English language and who looked to Bombaim fro inspiration.
Q no: 2 What was the level of literacy , say, for the estimated 100,000 Goan migrants in Bombay ? A. The level of literacy in English language among those who lived and worked in Bombay was a rather modest one; but nevertheless their illiterate members of the family lived gloriously in Holy Goa. Q.no: 3 But aren't you assuming the prime responsibility of the priests was to educate society ? I know the holies of the Goa Diocese were trained to look after the spiritual needs. But don't you think they should have, at least, paid some attention to the temporal side of their flock and provide them with the minimum basic tools like the 3Rs.? My father was sent to Bombay during the First World War to study at St. Sebastian School attached to the church at Cavel and lived in a kudd in Dabul area. He was denied education in 3Rs in parochial school. The Mestre ( who was no doubt, under the instruction of the malevolence incarnate ) had told him bluntly to concentrate on learning the violin. In any case he turned out to be a better christian in Bombay than he would have been in the Santissimo Patriarcado de Goa.
