Goa: Dark History of the Inquisition

I was doing some research and discovered the existence of a group claiming to be descendants of those who were killed during the Portuguese Inquisition in Goa more than 400 years ago! They also insist - sans proof - that Jesuit cofounder, St.  Francis Xavier, of “the Apostle to the Indies and Far East” fame, was responsible for many deaths during the un-Holy Inquisition!  

Not to condone the brutality of the Inquisition, but these were the darkest of Dark Ages, one in which an over-zealous Church (influenced by and often in league with corrupt power-grabbing Southern European monarchies) ruthlessly stamped out non-believers. 

The Inquisition (Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese) was all about power - not religion, although many abuses were committed in its name. In Goa, it meant (among other things) that converts had to drop every trace of local customs and clothing.
    

Dissident Group

In 2014 - while the exposition of Xavier’s remains at the Basilica of Bom Jesu in Velha Goa (old Goa) was taking place - the same group of concerned citizens from Mangalore (Catholics, I believe), started a movement to ban exposition of the body. 

They claimed (disingenuously) to have proof of 2,000 or more deaths in the 16th century that they said had a connection to Xavier. They asked that his remains "not be venerated"; that he no longer be called a saint; that the body be removed immediately from public display; and - finally - demanded it be sent back to France! 

Navarrese Basque, not Spanish!

Why France?  Because, like his friend and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order) - Ignatius of Loyola - Xavier was also from the Basque region (straddling northern Spain and southwest France), now part of Spain. Loyola was born in Castille and Xavier in the Kingdom of Navarre, making him Navarrese Basque, not Spanish, an important distinction.  (Until 2011, the region had its own violent separatist homeland movement, Basque-ETA, for more than 50 years).  

Both Loyola and Xavier were noblemen; both purpose-driven, focused on a vision to travel the world carrying the message of the Gospel. After missionary work in India, Borneo, Malaya, and Japan, Xavier died on Shangchuan Island before he could reach China.  He was canonized (declared a saint) nearly 500 years ago by Pope Paul V in 1622.  

Proof After 400 Years?

No doubt, the dissident group went public as a matter of principle and to raise awareness for their cause. Whatever iota of truth they may or may not have had on their side, this is too risky an action for these fraught times!

Almost all historical records were destroyed by the Portuguese when the Goa Inquisition was abolished in 1820. We do not know the exact number of those put on trial and the punishments they received. The few records that have survived suggest that at least 57 people were executed for religious crimes but no link to Xavier was ever found. 

It is true, however, that the Goa Inquisition was proposed by Xavier and perhaps that is the link they seek. 

Not a Joke!

In my not unbiased view, it’s only a matter of time before the “chaddiwala” fanatics targeting minorities in the north get hold of this explosive story and descend on Goa demanding that all Christians be reconverted to Hinduism, la seule foi vraie et sainte!  (That French phrase translates to “the one true and holy faith!” I used to say that about Catholicism - just kidding - not any more!)

Can you imagine what would happen if we let these crazies do reconversions, as they've threatened and tried in other parts of the country? It would destroy everything special and delightful and awesome about Goa: the unique vibe, the diversity, the peace, the sanity!

Mangalore  

A word about Mangalore and Mangaloreans. Like Goa, Mangalore in southern Karnataka, has been Christian for nearly 500 years with brief periods of Portuguese control although Christianity may have predated the Portuguese. Some of the earliest Christians fled to Mangalore from Goa to escape the Portuguese Inquisition and then later from the rulers of Bijapur and the Marathas. 

Being a rich and prosperous port for several centuries, with a flourishing trade (pepper, sandalwood, turmeric, ginger, cassia, cinnamon, coir), Mangalore became a bone of contention between British India and Mysore rulers, Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, during the 18th century Anglo-Mysore Wars. 

Compared to Goa - with which it has a long-standing friendly rivalry and shares a religion and language (Konkani), Mangalore's culture is less Westernized! 

Relics 

As a footnote, I want to add that a lot of people (myself, most certainly) are turned off (grossed out, even!) at the idea of “relics” (desiccated human body parts) being considered holy!  I remember going to the Vatican many years ago and seeing many such Papal relics (finger nails, hair, skulls) preserved in the crypt!  

The Catholics used to be big on this sort of thing a century (and more) ago; so were Muslims - not Protestants or Hindus. I was surprised to learn that Buddhist stupas also held relics (the tooth, for instance) of the Buddha or other saints - surprising since Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. 

But, dare I say, Catholicism is moving away from these passé medieval practices into more enlightened times!

“Iam olim serva scriptor!”

I don’t get this insane need to air old imaginary grievances!  Let’s keep the past buried in the past!  (“Iam olim serva scriptor!”).*  Let’s not destroy each other in the present for might have happened - or not happened - more than 400 years ago! 

Ludi Joseph

Washington, D.C.

Dec. 16, 2017

P.S. *I have to check with my padre uncle, the Monsignor, whether the Latin grammar is correct! 

Has Goa Lost It’s Soul?

My first couple of days I really thought Goa had lost its soul!  There were no native Goans to be found, no Konkani (local language) to be heard, not even the plaintive nostalgia-laden lilt of a mando (folk song)!  I was hard-pressed, distraught even, to find that Goa’s unique “culture” had somehow become subsumed in the larger ethos of the subcontinent!

It was so unlike my all-time favorite beach resorts, Hawaii and the Bahamas where the local culture is so immersive! In Hawaii, lei garlands, hula dances, aloha greetings and Hawaiian music (even the ‘wedding song’) are everywhere!  In the Bahamas it’s all about flame swallowers and fire walkers and Goombay music and Calypso! 

Not so in Goa! I had to travel all the way to the village of Aldona (near Mapusa) - my Mum’s ancestral home - to find real true-blooded Goans!  Thirty years ago, at statehood, Goan residents out-numbered visitors (domestic and foreign) by more than ten to one. Today, by my unscientific count, tourists seemed to far outnumber residents and native Goans!

Where Did the Natives Go?

Everybody in Goa is an “outsider” now - the entire tourist industry is filled with non-Goans. Where did all the natives go? Well to America, for one thing, and Australia and Canada and the Arabian Gulf and of course to Portugal and its former colonies of Brazil, Angola and Mozambique. 

Like other desis, Goans were hardworking and excelled at language skills, mechanics and accounting. They got jobs as government workers and bankers and educators - or as operators in the refrigeration and oil industries of Bahreïn and Das Island and Saudi Arabia - or that fave standby for every Goan, it’s become cliché : as bandsmen or crooners or chefs!  

The Best Musicians in the World!

The Bombay music industry, especially the orchestras, used to be crowded with Goans!  Like the Filipinos, they are the best musicians, singers and dancers in Asia! There are relatively few Goans who can’t sing or dance. I think it may be the most “civilized” thing about them: this ability to outsing and outdance most which also distinguishes them from the larger desi melting pot and what separates Goans from those who just can’t get Western music: either the accent is wrong or the feel is off (Usha Uthup being the rare exception)!  In general, Goans shine in this sphere!

We went to Martin’s, a famous restaurant in South Goa and were blown away by Kenny at the keyboard doing English and Hindi. After a bit of persuasion, he even did a mando medley for us (“Mogan Ason Borem,” “Undra Mujea Mama,” and “Ya, Ya, Maya Ya” of Remo Fernandes fame), although he claimed not to know the most well-known mando ever “Aum Saiba Poltodi Vetam!”  A version of that mando was made famous in the Hindi film “Bobby!” Hey, what’s that about - are young Goans forgetting their language and culture?   Shame on them! 

Goa Vibe

I’m happy to report that the fabulous sunsets, the moonrise over the Arabian Sea, and the golden sands are still as beautiful as I remembered them - despite the rampant and ubiquitous commercialization and the karaoke beach shacks full of rowdy male visitors jumping about, minus any musical or dance talent!  Yes, despite the vendors selling pineapples, cheap beads, hair braiding and footrubs, Goa still retains a certain “je ne sais quoi” ambience!  It is a laid back vibe that doesn’t exist anywhere else in India. It is hard to explain! Let’s just call it a mix of India and Portugal with young visitors shedding their conservatism and inhibitions in favor of freedom, mobikes, and western attire!  

The Portuguese colonized Goa for more than 450 years. How they withstood the Bahmani and Bijapur rulers, the Vijayanagar Empire and the Marathas - with only a small navy and military force - is a matter of conjecture, even today!  Fort Aguada - a well-preserved 17th century fortress and lighthouse near Candolim, overlooking the Arabian Sea, stands like a lonely but imposing sentinel. For more than 250 years a freshwater spring within the fort supplied water to passing ships, which is how the fort got its name ("aguada" means water).  

St. Francis Xavier

One of the most famous proselytizers and saints of 16th century Europe spent a significant amount of time in Goa. He was St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Jesuit from the Basque region, whose religious missions took him as far away as India, China, and Japan. He died off the coast of China in 1552 and his remains were brought to Goa on its way back to Spain. After a series of incidents (deemed to be miracles), it was decided by the locals that the saint "wished" to make Goa his last resting place. The body (which is perfectly preserved, though shrunk), is kept in the Bom Jesu Cathedral in Old Goa and displayed for public viewing every ten years or so.

Portuguese Inquisition

Goa and Kerala are probably two of the only states where the highest castes were converted to Christianity. Most Indians are taken aback to hear that the Portuguese Inquisition (in its most tyrannical form) existed in Goa in the 16th and 17th centuries and lasted for more than 250 years or that the caste system is so prevalent with Christians (who are proud of being Brahmin, forget JC and brotherhood and equality!) Even now, you can find the instruments of the Inquisition in the museum in Panjim. The Jesuits were clever enough to realize that if they got the landowning educated Brahmins to convert, the rest would follow. 

In 1961, when Nehru’s threat of sending in the Indian army resulted in almost overnight independence from the Portuguese, the ratio in Goa of Christians to Hindus was perhaps 40-60. That number has reduced dramatically to less than 25 percent of the population with many Christians opting to go overseas. One can hardly blame them. 

Like my Tamil-speaking Dad (a non-Goan, writer and avid student of history) was fond of saying, "the Portuguese did nothing for Goa." There was no infrastructure of any kind: schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, electricity, running water. All Goa had were churches and bars! The Goans had no option but to emigrate in large numbers. My Mum's entire family went to British India to attend high school; the girls went to Loreto Convent in Calcutta and the boys went to Don Bosco's in Bombay.

The 21st Century Hits Goa!

Even though Christians were always fewer than Hindus, they wielded a lot of political and economic clout that belied their numbers. The Goans who chose to remain behind were teachers and educators. I wonder what the deceased members of the Soares family (Mum’s family) would make of all the changes in Goa. The ancestral home is very dilapidated and ramshackle and that for sure would have broken my grandmother’s heart!  The land and house and grounds, including the cashew plantations, have now been donated to the local school - but that’s not the only thing that’s changed. 

Indoor plumbing and electricity and roads and schools have come to the more remote areas of Goa and (to my astonishment) people actually speak Hindi!  That’s huge!  I was also glad to see that many old-timey desserts can still be found: bebinca, and dodol and, of course, Goa's most famous (alcoholic) product, cashew feni is alive and well, still relatively inexpensive and still consumed in large quantities by native and visitor alike! 

Most importantly, however, Goa is a haven of peace and Goans continue to live with each other in perfect harmony - whether they are celebrating Carnival or Christmas or Dassehra or Eid! One can hardly minimise the importance of this after the talk of "love jihad" or fictional Queen Padmavati or a slew of imbecile controversies plaguing other parts of the country! 

Ludi Joseph
Dec. 8, 2017