Authoritarianism and making of counterdiscourse in colonial Goa

Abstract

By using the concepts such as power, discourse, and «reverse» (counter) discourse, this paper contextualises colonial discourse and nationalist counterdiscourse through a critique of the concepts – Goa Dourada and Goa Indica. A comparison of the Goan colonial scenario with Africa demonstrates similarities between the two regions. Further, the Goan scene is juxtaposed with other parts of India. It enables us to rationalize the affinity of the nationalist of Goa with Indian nationalism. The complex processes, individuals, groups involved in the making of the counterdiscourse are delineated. The final part of the article analyses the emergence of discourse that countered the counterdiscourse, thus showing that a discourse is bound to be challenged by a counterdiscourse.