The book I mentioned is a very impartial document on Indian and Portuguese laws in Goa. It describes these laws and the criminal justice procedures in a dispassionate manner in consultation with legal documents, and legal authorities and police officers who were familiar with the procedures at the times in question. I see no evidence that Gabriel and others who have commented on this thread have better first- or second-hand knowledge of the Indian and Portuguese legal systems than that contained in the said book. I also do not see any evidence of impartiality on their part.
I for one want to look at our past and present in as realistic a manner as the documented facts dictate it, and to the future with moderate optimism. Cheers, Santosh --- On Fri, 2/18/11, Gabriel de Figueiredo <[email protected]> wrote: > > Given that the series was written in > 2002, the author would have had little, if > any, experience of Goan justice system pre-1962. I would > treat the statement the > same way as I would treat Arun Sinha's statement that the > portuguese did > absolutely nothing regarding agriculture, in his book "Goa > Indica". I, for one, > have been aware of the irrigation system built in South > Goa and the impetus the > portuguese gave to growing sugar-cane and raising the > possibilities of having 3 > rice crops a year, in an effort to improve Goa's > self-sufficiency, although I > would personally term that effort "too late". > > A lot of Indian authors in recent years seem to want to > belittle the Portuguese. > Not that I want to praise them either. But these authors > should view the > situation in Portuguese-Goa as being a totally different > situation to that of > British-India. BK Boman-Behram puts this quite nicely - see > > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg32573.html as > I don't own > a copy of the book. > > > There are other myths brought up from time to time by > Indian authors, such as > Goans not allowed in clubs. It appears that these authors > are mixing up > experiences with the British or maybe inferring that if the > Brits did it, so > must have the Portuguese. Nothing could be further from the > truth, as all Goans > were in fact Portuguese citizens, and as such, provided > people followed certain > norms in mode of dress, they could go anywhere they > pleased. > > As JC said, Goa provided some great judges and statesmen, > going back to the 18th > century, not only in Portuguese-Goa, but also other > Portuguese territories. > > > http://books.google.com.au/books?id=7DJLxYBYA-YC&pg=PA186&lpg=PA186&dq=great+goan+judges&source=bl&ots=AZ5uazPtha&sig=FkdcsREe_TXsUEPRtKzTF8ZWMYQ&hl=en&ei=zk9eTafSB5CIuAOthdSPDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=great%20goan%20judges&f=false > > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg06119.html > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > > From: Santosh Helekar <[email protected]> > > To: estb. 1994!Goa's premiere mailing list <[email protected]> > > Sent: Fri, 18 February, 2011 8:59:17 AM > > Subject: Re: [Goanet] Guilty until proven innocent? > > > > QUOTE > > Under the Portuguese system, after investigation, if > an offender was charged > >with crime, then he was, generally speaking, presumed > to be guilty and the onus > >was on the offender during trial to prove his > innocence; whereas under the > >Indian system, the accused is presumed to be innocent > and the burden is entirely > >on the prosecution to prove his guilt and the > Magistrate must hold him guilty > >beyond any shadow of doubt. > > UNQUOTE > > .....Criminal Justice India Series: Goa, 2002, Page > 137, Lines 12 - 17. > > > > > > > >
