Thread by @aurvabhrg

Just finished re-reading the chapter on "Anti-Hindu Laws in Goa" from "The Goa Inquisition". I suppose it was @by2kaafi sir who once said
Maru:Sword :: Preta:Law.

Truer equivalence hasn't been made. It is perfect.

The Portuguese followed the Carrots & Sticks approach.
Sticks - Destroy temples, prevent their upkeep. Drive out influential Hindus. Make it difficult for Hindus to lead a normal life. And snatch away orphans. Making women forcefully listen to Christian doctrine

There were three key things that the Portuguese did to dismantle Hinduism in Goa. They attacked what they thought was the source, the transmission medium and the heirs of the Hindu tradition.

Attack on the Source: The Portuguese thought that the biggest Hindrance to their scheme of conversions came from the Brahmins. So Brahmins were driven out of the Portuguese domains,

Along with Brahmins, another group that was driven away was Physicians. You can guess why!

The next attack was done on the medium. These were the Rituals, the festivals, the celebrations, the way of life - Anything that helped transmit the Hindu ethos was prohibited, banned and criminalized.

The third attack was on the recepients, propagators, and the heirs of the Hindu tradition. This was made in two ways.
1) Hindus were forced to listen to Christian Doctrine.
2) Forcible conversions of Hindu Orphans

Do note here, even way back in the 16th century, the Portuguese Christians knew where the weak point was: Get the children, the family follows. Anant Kakba Priolkar recounts an interesting story of how some prominent members of a village got converted, because they children had!

Apart from this, there were other disincentives against Hindus. They were prevented from holding any public office, deprived of communal rights and privileges as Gaonkars, or original inhabitants of the village, prevented from moving on horsebacks or Palanquins.

Now coming to the Carrots : The Portuguese passed many a law that made life easy for those who converted to Christianity.
-Land tax exemption
-priority to converted relatives to claim inheritance of a dead Hindu relative
-Grand alimony for wife who converts to Xtianity

(carrots contd..)
- 1/3 of ancestoral inheritance for converted heirs, even when the parents were alive.

Now, these were passed by Portuguese between 16th-19th century.They were outsiders.

However even post Independence,the Indian state continues to enact & enforce discriminatory laws that are favorable to minorities & crippling to the Hindus.

Have we truely achieved independence?

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