The dark secrets of Goa

Submitted by Ravi (India), Mar 26, 2014 at 05:47

I am a descendant of a Hindu who was forced to flee from Goa (then known as Gomantak) to escape religious conversion/persecution by the Portuguese in the early 16th century. Tens of thousands of Hindus escaped, many died on the way. Thousands were converted into christianity and forced to forsake their culture and adopt portuguese culture, including eating beef, pork and drinking alcohol.

Sometimes the missionaries would capture the children and would not return them until the parents converted. Other times, the missionaries would ask their black african slaves to catch hold of a Hindu and smear his lips with beef. He had to convert or commit suicide to escape shame. Also many times they would throw beef into the wells so that whoever drank the water had to convert.

Later, even the use of Konkani language was banned. Thousands of temples were demolished and churches built over them. It was only in the 20th century that the portuguese left and Hindus could now go back to their temples (few existed in remote places and many had to be rebuilt).

I am not making this up.

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