Goa, Dec. 19 -- VITHALDAS HEGDE

Veteran freedom fighter and Padma Shri awardee Libia Lobo Sardesai rued that Goa was no longer a civilised state. "Goa was ruled by foreigners, but people were civilised. Today we cannot think that we are civilised. Because we don't. we don't," she said.

"If the Portuguese did not consider us because they were foreigners, today our own people do not consider us the same. Why? They. they. they [politicians] have divided us. The Portuguese never divided us; they united us. We were united during the Portuguese rule. Today we are divided. If only these rulers had learned something from Portugal and Portuguese rule, even the whole of India would have benefited.

"We did not want to remain under the Portuguese....