I had a look at one chapter of Selma's book when she wished me to check it for any historical innacuracies that could have escaped her. At another stage she wished to know how does an historian handle the delicate issue of mentioning details that could upset someone still liiving and with intention of suing in court of law. These worries were good indicators of Selma's seriousness about doing a good job of her venture into this field. If more Goans would follow Selma's example and keep a record of the lived experiences of Goans across centuries, the history of Goa would be the richer for it. There is no such thing as final version of any history, including the history of Goa and Goans. The lived experiences of every single Goan at any time in the past or present or future will go into the completion of Goa's history. It will remain incomplete as long as any such experience has disappeared without leaving a trace, or without being recovered. Professional historians do their part of the job, particularly a more difficult task of providing the links and context that are required to make the individual accounts and experiences understandable. Best wishes to Selma and hopefully this book will be the beginning of more to follow. Teotonio R. de Souza -- http://bit.ly/aBMS9z * * *
IS YOURS one of the stories of Goans on board the S.S. Dwarka, or at the Strait of Hormuz, Basra or Bahrain, Dubai, Swindon, Mombasa, Poona or Rangoon? Selma Carvalho's new book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness* docks at many other ports. Get your copy from Broadways, Panjim [9822488564] Rs 295. P&p extra. http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
