A Canadian, Gary Megaffin, wrote in July 2021, “With all due respect to those of you who feel you can change history and are compelled to deface or destroy historical statues, change the names of educational institutions or decades-old municipal thoroughfares, here is a wake-up call. History is not there for you to like or dislike, it is there for you to learn from it. And if it offends you, even better, because then you are less likely to repeat it. History is not yours to erase or destroy. Teach that to your children.”
The present human civilization is passing through a phase where sections of society wish to dominate and rule over populations by excavating the debris of destroyed civilizations, which most of the time were ‘bloody’ wars fought not for any other reason but to prove supremacy and chauvinism.
In the recent past, Goa has been witnessing pressure on the inclusive social fabric with attempts to tear down into ‘us versus them’ and garner dividends of polarisation for a selected group of people who intend to remain at the top of affairs, socially as well as politically.
While historical facts cannot be erased and destroyed, they should not be twisted to achieve goals by crushing the populace. Even if the crimes of hate may not be proved in the contemporary Courts, but history will judge exactly in the harsh manner in which the proponents of hate are judging the personalities of the past.
It’s a global truth that in the face of migration, either due to forced displacement of populations resulting from natural calamities or expeditions for political conquests and religious propagation, communities were replaced or the least amalgamated with the visitors. Socio-cultural, religious and political identities in such circumstances are bound to be altered. Thus, when the political leaders of today look at history through the tunnel of divisive politics, they deliberately ignore the truths of history.
Goa as a land existed even before the advent of Portuguese, and Christians and Muslims traded through Goa even prior to the 16th century. A proactive and visionary leader would seek lessons from the legendary losses of the past and inspire the youth of the day with the successes from history. Only a weak leadership has to harp on the skeletons of Inquisition to prove that their cause and route is better than the rule that existed five centuries ago.
If a look into history is necessary then a peep into the realities of communities during the last century, on the eve of India’s Independence and Goa’s Liberation, is also necessary. Pandit Lakshmi Kanta Maitra, member of the Constituent Assembly from West Bengal during the discussion on Article 19 of the draft Constitution of India said, “This Indian Christian community, so far as I am aware, spend to the tune of nearly Rs 2 crores every year for educational uplift, medical relief and for sanitation, public health and the rest of it. Look at the numerous educational institutions, dispensaries and hospitals they have been running so effectively and efficiently, catering to all classes and communities. If this vast amount of Rs 2 crore were utilised by this Christian community for purposes of seeking converts, then the Indian Christian community which comprises only 7 million would have gone to 70 million.”
In 2006, the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee formed by the Centre to study the social, economic and educational condition of Muslims in India, concluded that the conditions facing Indian Muslims were below that of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The report brought the issue of Muslim Indian inequality to national attention, sparking a discussion that is still ongoing. If minority appeasement was indeed a reality, then the government statistics would have painted a different picture of exchange and brutalities.
The large numbers of citizens who gathered at Lohia Maidan in Margao to mark the National Unity Day took an oath and resolved to fight all divisive forces by the power of truth, non-violence and courage. Goans for centuries have welcomed people from all corners of the world, and on the hand have also migrated all over the world and flourished as a community. Today we take pride in naming the who’s who of Goan origin that have reached the top of the ladder in their respective fields across the globe. It was possible only due to the acceptance of diversity. Indeed, more than ever before, every Goan needs to take a step towards Unity.
