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Interventions

WEB SERIES: The Goa Inquisition: New Scholarship on the State and Religious Violence

Nearly 500 years after it was set up and 200 years after it was abolished, the Goa Inquisition remains a much debated yet poorly understood topic today. What exactly was the Inquisition? Why was it set up in Goa? Who were the people tried and judged by it? Was it linked to religious conversions? Who were the heretics and what was their heresy? What was the nature of the violence associated with the Inquisition? And why was this institution finally shut down? These are some of the questions that plague the mind of many a modern Goan, but to which no clear answer is usually and easily available. (more…)

Al-Zulaij Exclusive

60 Years of ‘Liberation’: The Pressing Need for a Constitutional Contract

By THE AL-ZULAIJ COLLECTIVE

Introduction

The 19th of December 2020 marks the commencement of the sixtieth year since Goa was annexed to the Indian Union, ending Portugal’s sovereignty over the territory. To celebrate this moment, the current government of Goa has planned a 100-crore celebration, even while the pandemic, and decades-long mismanagement of the Goan economy, along with corruption and communal politics, have pushed the Goan people to the edge. Against such a backdrop, it is critical that we look beyond the celebratory rhetoric, and focus on the structural problems that were written into India’s relationship with Goa right from the start. It is our argument that Goa’s ‘liberation’ may have ended Portuguese sovereignty over the territory, but, due to the manner through which the integration with the Indian Union took place, it has produced a condition of lawlessness that is in no small measure responsible for the unfolding chaos in Goa. (more…)

Guest Pieces

Maria Aurora Couto remembers Dadu Mandrekar

By MARIA AURORA COUTO

Deeply grieved by Dadu Mandrekar’s sudden death. I valued his friendship, his sincerity and directness in conversation. I first met him in 2002 when researching for my book, A Daughter’s Story (2004). On enquiry I was told where his office was, a government department alongside Azad Maidan, and made an appointment through a friend. My husband Alban urged me not to go into the office but send word that I was outside in the maidan. (more…)

Guest Pieces

Remembering Dadu

By ATUL ANAND

On November 26, I got an early morning message from Vasudha that Dadu had passed away around 1:45 am. After the initial shock, I messaged another mutual friend Amita. This has been heartbreaking news. I am still coming to terms with his death. (more…)