Re: [GRN] Experts urge researchers to utilise Goa's rich archival heritage (O Heraldo)

[John de Figueiredo]

Oral traditions are valuable supplements to archival research and are of great interest to sociology and anthropology. But they are no substitute to archival research.  Here is an example. For decades we believed in the oral tradition that Goan Hindus never collaborated with the Portuguese. Through patient and detailed archival research (much to be admired because he had a limited budget and probably no more than a clerk to help him) Dr. Panduronga Pissurlencar demonstrated that this is not true. Today we know that the Portuguese Empire would not have survived for as long as it did had it not been for the active and loyal collaboration of Goan Hindus and other non-Christians. As Dr. Pissurlencar once told me (in French), “pas de documents, pas d’histoire” (“no documents, no history”). He was not “protecting, solidifying, and justifying” the power of the Portuguese. He was establishing the truth. John M. de Figueiredo  Sent from my iPhone On Jun 13, 2026, at 11:52 PM, Vivek Pinto <vivpin...@gmail.com> wrote:  With all respect to Dr. Da Silva and others who have labored in various archives, Archives, no matter where they are located, metropolis or periphery, are not only "elite-centric" but protect, solidify, and justify the power of those who continue (read: us) to exploit (by our writings) those at the bottom of the social, economic and political pyramid, particularly women and children.   We give them undue importance as they are on paper and we use it to aggrandize ourselves, academic positions, and whatever else.  Religious orders are no exception to this truth and so let us please stop attributing too much value to the years we have labored there.  We will not get any discount when future historians read our works, academic or non-fiction "against the grain." What is "against the grain"? It is not only crucially interrogating the written record to search for hidden and suppressed truth, but actively searching for oral sources. The balance can never be restored.  It is a myth. Best regards, Vivek Pinto On Sat, Jun 13, 2026 at 5:34 PM William Robert Da Silva <wrdsi...@gmail.com> wrote: I agree fully with Dr Celsa Pinto. However, there is another side to the archives she speaks about. Archives are of the ruling elites and the powerful writing elites. Everyday archive of people's lives in caste living, occupation, conflictual relations with the higher and purer castes, religious leaders, family, employment and their 'archive' of art and culture -  these are equally, if not more, important, and these give a balance to the 'archive' generally so-called.  I have paid greater attention to that part of life and, in language research, its yield has been colossal. Thank you. William Robert On Fri, Jun 12, 2026 at 3:10 PM Cristiana Bastos <cristiana.bas...@ics.ulisboa.pt> wrote: ____agree 100% - but getting a research visa is extremely difficult - for inidia and many other places.  I co supervised a Brazilian doctoral student, funded for a year of research in lisbon and goa, and after many many attempts to get a visa to India in order to do research in goa’s archives she had to give up. She would not risk using a tourist visa for research and went back from lisbon to brazil… may be there will be another chance for her,  but the energy  one has in the doctoral years is unique, i think. Perhaps there is a way of making things easier for doctoral students? Thanks ___________agre_________________ De: goa-research-net@googlegroups.com <goa-research-net@googlegroups.com> em nome de Frederick Noronha <fredericknoron...@gmail.com> Enviado: 12 de junho de 2026 07:42 Para: goa-research-net@googlegroups.com Assunto: [GRN] Experts urge researchers to utilise Goa's rich archival heritage (O Heraldo) [archives.jpg] _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/  Frederick Noronha  फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या  * فريدريك نورونيا‎ _/  AUDIO https://archive.org/details/@fredericknoronha _/  http://goa1556.in +91-9822122436 784 Saligao Goa _/ Goanet :: 30 years of discussions. goa...@goanet.org<mailto:goa...@goanet.org> _/ http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. 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