THE PRINTED WORD/Frederick Noronha ---------------------------------- FOCUSSING ON THE GOA OF ANOTHER DAY
Some readers might recall Prof Vasco Pinho as their lecturer in Economics at St Xavier's College. Post-retirement, he has reinvented himself well, to successfully author half-a-dozen books. In the interview below, he talks of his work, with FREDERICK NORONHA. Excerpts: ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: Prof. Pinho, tell us, how did you take to writing books? ---------------------------------------------------------- In 1998, I wrote a series of articles, under the title "Nostalgia", for The Navhind Times' Panorama magazine. People suggested I compile and make a book of these articles, quickly, because every year fewer people of that older generation are left with us. So, I did that. I didn't go to any publisher, but went to a small printer and got it self-published. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: The books have done well... very well. ---------------------------------------------------------- The books are practically sold out. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: You could tell us about the secret of your success later. But to start, please say something about your latest product? ---------------------------------------------------------- What I've just brought out is the fourth volume in the series of "Snapshots of Indo-Portuguese History". The cover shows an old portrait of Diogo de Couto, who was the founder of the Goa Archives. I felt it was fair, and just, to have him on the cover. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: What does it contain? ---------------------------------------------------------- It contains (articles on) 74 topics. Right from the communidades to the introduction of Western medical in Goa... the medical school. In fact, to my understanding, there was more than one medical school. Then, I've written on the Liceu, on Regis Civil, on various government organisations and departments -- the Fazenda, post office, the Alfândega (Customs). There's also some passages related to the Ranes. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: It's all in an easy to digest, simple and not-academic style... ---------------------------------------------------------- Yes. My style is just to state the facts, rather than colouring the sentences. It's for the general public. It's a book which could be useful to researchers, but is not written for researchers. From what I know, there are plenty of people now who have no idea what the Portuguese period was, what was done, what happened, what was the role the Goans played, what was the role the Portuguese played. There is a tendency sometimes to write a book which is nothing more than a political speech. So I restricted myself, and I have been careful, to state facts. I use a lot of data. Virtually every sentence is a piece of information in these books. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: The earlier four books of yours, how are they different? ---------------------------------------------------------- The theme of all is the Indo-Portuguese period. I had selected 200 topics which I wanted to write on, and split them up (into the various books). The first volume is on Panjim. Book Two also covers around 40 topics. It deals with the rise and the demise of the Estado da India, upto 1961. When it comes to the dramatic changes of the last days, there are portions of the account given not merely on a day-to-day, but an hour-by-hour basis. Book Three was Panjim then and Panjim now. Book Four, I would say, is all that is left. All this time, I've also been collecting old photographs, from wherever I can. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: So, is the series over for now? ---------------------------------------------------------- I may say the series is over, but for one thing, a chronology of events. For the time-being, I think I can relax. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: And what about your other two books? ---------------------------------------------------------- The first one was called 'Nostalgia'. That was not part of this series. It wasn't history, but memories. I expect to republish it in later 2010. It doesn't contain so many photographs though. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: It's hard to get pictures of the past.... ---------------------------------------------------------- It's not impossible, but it's not very easy. There are photos of Panjim. But there are very few photographs of Margao, of Mapusa and other places. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: We probably need a pictorial archive for Goa. ---------------------------------------------------------- People have photographs. But they won't share. I believe in every house there's an album of those photographs. For instance, it would be nice if I could reconstruct some of the Panjim roads. The buildings around the Municipal Garden, Jardin Garcia de Orta. For that we need at least a few main photographs. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: Yours could be seen as a politically inconvenient subject in post-colonial times? ---------------------------------------------------------- All that I have done was to write on things I'm convince that they are correct and historical. I may make a mistake here and there, but I will not bluff and I will not cheat. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: You're saying we can't hide from our history? ---------------------------------------------------------- It's delicate, yes. It's not possible to separate politics from history, or politics from sociology. We should not hide things just because they are inconvenient. Quite a few in Goa feel that the existence of Goanity has reached a point of crisis. We don't know what the future will be. I feel very worried. Whenever I ask somebody, where their son or daughter is, they give a smile, and say, "He's gone to America. Or, she's married and gone to stay in America." So who's going to stay in Goa, if everyone is leaving? ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: Your books offer us an anchor to understand the past. But is there something more than nostalgia? ---------------------------------------------------------- Yes. People tell me, "What happened to you, is not particular to you. It happened to us also." We had a different type of education then; teachers and doctors were more committed, and less commercialised than now. There was a greater sense of responsibility. These things look alien strange to people who have not been part of Goan life of those times. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: Your study of Portuguese has obviously helped in writing such books.... ---------------------------------------------------------- I studied in the last batch of the Lyceum, of 1960-61. There was some difficulty to begin with (in shifting to English). English was only a third language for us. But many of the Lyceum students did very well in college. English is easier to learn than Portuguese. The very fact that I have access to books written in Portuguese, of documents -- I did a lot of translations of legal documents -- made it possible for me to get into the local history. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: Could you give intending authors some tips for self-publishing? ---------------------------------------------------------- You must maintain good relations with the mass media, with the publishers, printers, distributors, book-sellers, with personnel of public libraries. It's not a very difficult task to do; but most important you have to win the trust of the reader and the public. You have to (write) things right, because the reader trusts you. I have never asked anyone to finance my work. Fortunately I have sufficient resources to publish my own books. ---------------------------------------------------------- FN: What are the next plans? ---------------------------------------------------------- I have revised the 'Nostalgia'. I wrote the Portuguese course, which also needs a revision. Contacts: Vasco Pinho Ph: +91-98 22 38 78 30 Online photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4196545263/ Snapshots I http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4196592917/ Snapshots II http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4197347366/ Snapshots III http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4197354012/ Snapshots IV http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/4196602167/ NOTE: Goa-related books for review are welcome in this column. First published in the Gomantak Times, under its series THE PRINTED WORD, that focuses on books and authors related to Goa. Started by FN in 2007. Now 101 issues old.