Concerning M. Sonia Gomes' comment, is Dr. John M. de Figueiredo, Dr. Pacheco Figueiredo?
Sonia Gomes <[email protected]> escreveu (domingo, 5/07/2026 à(s) 08:25): > Thank you very much Dr. Pacheco de Figueiredo. Truly appreciated. > > Have a great 4th of July. > > Sonia > > On Sun, 5 Jul, 2026, 10:01 am JOHN DE FIGUEIREDO, <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Today (July 4, 2026) the people of the United States commemorate the >> 250th anniversary of the birth of their Nation. Today is also a day of >> reflection to all Goans because it is the 96th anniversary of the Goan >> Declaration of Self-Determination. By issuing this Declaration, the >> democratically elected representatives of the people of Goa to the >> Government Council made sure that we, Goans, would never again be told that >> we never asked for that right and that for future reference we should >> always ask. The Declaration was a protest against the Acto Colonial that >> had condemned the Goans to perpetual servitude. The Declaration was >> approved by the Council by unanimity. The Council was chaired by Governor >> Joao Carlos Craveiro Lopes (father of Francisco Higinio Craveiro Lopes, >> future President of the Portuguese Republic). Governor Craveiro Lopes >> continued to condemn the Acto Colonial and defend the right of the Goans to >> self-determination after he returned to Portugal, thereby risking his >> career. Two anniversaries of legitimate protest leading to two drastically >> different fates. The United States became the most powerful democracy on >> earth. The Goans never exercised their right to self-determination and were >> destined to never exercise that right. Below is an article I wrote to >> commemorate these memorable anniversaries: >> >> >> *This article is protected by Copyright. No part of it should be >> reproduced without the author’s written permission. This article was >> published in “Revista da Casa de Goa” and it is reproduced here with the >> Editor’s permission. The opinions expressed by the author in this article >> are exclusively his own.* >> >> >> >> A DAY OF JOY FOR GOANS >> John M. de Figueiredo, MD, ScD >> >> On July 4, 1776, a courageous group of English citizens established >> in North America declared their desire to separate from England to form a >> new nation, the United States of America. More than a century and a half >> later, on July 4, 1930, in a remote corner of the western coast of India, >> while the Americans were celebrating their Independence Day, four Goans >> presented in Goa a declaration to the Government Council of Portuguese >> India. The declaration responded to the request of Dr. Oliveira Salazar, >> then Minister of the Colonies, for an opinion from Portuguese India through >> its Government Council on his project of the Colonial Act. That Act stated >> in Article 2: “It is of the organic essence of the Portuguese Nation to >> perform the historical function of owning and colonizing overseas domains >> and to civilize the indigenous populations that are comprised in them, also >> exercising the moral influence assigned to it by the ‘Padroado do Oriente’ >> " And in Article 3: “The overseas domains of Portugal are called colonies >> and constitute the Portuguese Colonial Empire.” The four Goans made up the >> elected part of the Government Council: Luiz de Menezes Bragança, author of >> the Declaration, António Xavier Gomes Pereira, Naraina Bandorcar, and >> Cipriano da Cunha Gomes, co-signatories. The declaration was adopted by the >> Government Council by unanimous vote. This statement, transcribed from the >> Minutes of the Government Council, ran as follow*s:* >> >> *“1st Portuguese India does not renounce the right of peoples to reach >> the fullness of their individuality, until they become units capable of >> directing their destinies, since it is an original right, of its organic >> essence;* >> >> *2nd Recommends that, maintaining the organization of the Portuguese >> State established in the Political Constitution of the Republic:* >> >> *a) There is no discrimination between the Metropolis and the Overseas >> Provinces of individual rights and guarantees expressed in Art. 3 and its >> Constitution numbers and the representation of India in the Congress of the >> Republic is maintained* >> >> *b) The regime of administrative decentralization and financial autonomy >> of the Overseas Provinces is reestablished in the terms defined in Articles >> 67 B and 67 F of the Constitution as a starting point for representative >> institutions of broader action.* >> >> *c) The principle of majority elected in the highest deliberative body in >> the country is reestablished in India, the intervention of that majority >> being recognized, through its representatives, in the special function of >> the “examination and visa”, of ordering the expenses and accounts of >> management"* >> >> Unlike the founders of the United States, Menezes Bragança, Gomes >> Pereira, Naraina Bandorcar, and Cipriano da Cunha Gomes did not ask for >> political independence for Goa. Nor was their desire to transfer >> sovereignty to the Indian Union, which, at the time, did not yet exist as a >> nation. Known as the “Greatest of All”, Menezes Bragança thought that the >> people of Goa had an individuality and psychology fundamentally different >> from the peoples of the rest of India, the result of Portugal's >> assimilationist policy, and it was always of the opinion that Portuguese >> India was part and portion of the spiritual unity of the Portuguese Nation. >> Despite his vehement opposition to the Colonial Act, he simply asked for >> the people of his homeland democratic representation and maximum >> administrative and financial autonomy under Portuguese sovereignty. >> >> To say that Menezes Bragança was the “Tilak of Goa” shows ignorance >> of what he wanted for his homeland. Lokmanya Tilak wanted, for his India, >> complete and immediate independence (‘*Swaraj*”) from the British >> colonial rule. Menezes Bragança was always loyal to Portugal and during the >> First Republic he was praised by Dr. Jaime de Morais, Governor of >> Portuguese India, for his loyalty to Portugal and his honesty. >> Unfortunately, the little he asked for, he did not obtain, and the Colonial >> Act was promulgated and incorporated into the 1933 Constitution. Menezes >> Bragança's reaction was to state that “the 1933 Constitution betrayed the >> spirit of the 1911 Constitution”. His newspaper “*Luz *- *Pracasha*” was >> closed by order of the Government, forever silencing his voice. >> >> In this manner was born the historical fatality of the people of >> Portuguese India. As the Viceroy of Portuguese India Count of S. Vicente >> said so well, “Portuguese India is only seen from far away and only heard >> too late”. The voice of Portuguese India echoed in the desert and died. >> Goa's fate was decided by others, not by the Goans themselves. The human >> right of self-determination, an “original right, of its organic essence” >> was never exercised by the Goans through a plebiscite, and will never be >> exercised, but the protest of the Goans against the Colonial Act and the >> expression of their natural desire to “reach the fullness of their >> individuality” were recorded forever in the annals of history. >> The Declaration of Self-Determination is the most important >> document in the modern history of Portuguese India. July 4th is not a day >> of joy and pride for the Americans only; it is also for the Goans. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Goa-Research-Net" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/979926520.966876.1783225706084%40mail.yahoo.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/979926520.966876.1783225706084%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAG_LhYMqfUiiEWCdTuyZWmhXnrjfM8W5Q%2BW%2BMPw_yw3maJo5Vw%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CAG_LhYMqfUiiEWCdTuyZWmhXnrjfM8W5Q%2BW%2BMPw_yw3maJo5Vw%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- normetica.blogspot.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. 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