Tracing our roots (Interview: Bernardo Elvino de Sousa, in the Navhind Times)
Frederick Noronha
Tracing our roots
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Dr Bernardo Elvino de Sousa, who authored the book ‘The Last Prabhu’ is a Switzerland-based Goan scientist. In an e-mail interview with ‘The Navhind Times’, he spoke about his journey to make this book possible, on Goan community and why it is important to save information about our past history
Q. What inspired you to hunt for Goan roots especially in your village of Aldona?
In Goa, investigating who is related to whom is a state-wide pastime, probably more popular than the national cricket craze, and every family has its experts on the subject. I therefore grew up listening to these discussions, though I admit that the topic was of little interest to me in my youth.
Later on, my wife Vinita, who is not only a great grand-daughter of José Nicolau da Fonseca, author of ‘An Historical and Archaeological Sketch of the City of Goa’, but is herself very well-versed in history awoke my interest in this topic. My interest lay passive and dormant until I read an article on the Genographic project launched by the National Geographic magazine jointly with IBM. Being a “gaunkar” (i.e. descendant of a clan of the founders of a village) of Aldona, I was greatly intrigued as to how and why a person who migrated from Africa sixty thousand years ago, should end up as a Brahmin co-founder of a village in Goa. Also, trained as a scientist, the notion of using DNA test results greatly appealed to me, as a tool to find a solution to this vexing question that refused to leave me alone.
Q. In your book you have searched for traces of your male ancestors, using the Y DNA. Would it not make sense to search for female ancestors using mitochondrial DNA in a Goan context?
It certainly would. One of the objectives of this project was to identify if possible the pre-conversion Hindu name of my ancestors. Since the gaunkari system is a male bastion and family names or surnames are patrilineal by convention, the only option available to me to achieve this objective was to focus my research on Y DNA.
In ‘The Last Prabhu’, I have dedicated a chapter to my mitochondrial DNA and discovered the surprising and to me unexpected migratory route of my mother’s maternal ancestors. I am convinced that a project to study the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of Goans would reveal exciting results with regard to matrilineal migratory routes.
Q. I guess your readers must be wondering too: what is the significance of the book’s title ‘The Last Prabhu’?
By analysing the chapter on Aldona (Tombo de Aldona) in Gajanana Ghantkar’s “A History of Goa in Goykannadi Script”, I was able to determine the pre-conversion name of all the 12 vangods of Aldona’s Comunidade Fraternal. Thus, my ancestral pre-conversion name was Prabhu. Additionally, I was able to identify the last ancestor of my patrilineage to bear this name. My choice of the book’s title is intended to honour this last ancestor, who is also one of the person’s to whom the book is dedicated, to show him respect and express my pride in being one of his descendants.
In order to emphasize the “last” that is very significant from the historical point of view, I have explained this under “concluding remarks” in the last words of the last sentence of the last page, prior to the list of references, in the hope that the reader will meet the challenge of reading my book up to the last word.
Q. Is it feasible for a layperson in Goa today to find out his/her haplogroups? If yes, then how?
Anyone from any part of the world, including Goa, can determine his or her haplogroup by ordering a kit from the Genographic Project, Family Tree DNA or some other organisation offering this service, and sending back a swab. In my project, two Goans living in Goa did precisely this. In the case of a male, he will have to choose between testing his Y DNA, mtDNA or both, whereas in the case of a female, for obvious reasons, only a mtDNA test is possible. A standard starter test for twelve markers costs around a hundred US dollars.
Q. What are the implications of your findings for the Goan community? Would you see it as being of academic interest alone, or practical too?
At a time when the problem of migrants is being hotly debated in Goa, my findings show that we are all migrants to some extent and descendants of the first migrants out of Africa. Another conclusion is that there is absolutely no genetic basis to the existence of the caste system since Brahmins all over India not only do not belong to the same haplogroup but additionally share haplogroups with other varnas and even with tribal populations. I would sincerely hope that my book will contribute towards the removal of all caste bias in Goan society.
I also hope that it will show other Goans a path on how to search for their roots, pre-conversion Hindu name, their deep ancestry and the migratory route of their ancestors. It is most unfortunate that old documents in Goa’s archives and libraries are treated with such appalling neglect and disrespect and access to them is hindered by massive bureaucracy. It is our last opportunity to save information on the past history of Goa and its inhabitants.
I would also fervently hope that Goa University undertakes a project to study the DNA – both Y DNA as well as mtDNA – of the vangods of Goa’s comunidades as well as of the different communities of Goa such the Mhars, Kharvis, Kunnbis and so on to determine their haplogroups and provide scientific information on the peopling of Goa.
Q. What was the most challenging part of this project, given that it mixes science, history, religious issues, and sociology?
The most challenging part of the project came from an entirely different area, namely, the major hurdles to access information and to obtain the books and other literature on Goa needed for the project.
Q. What is your next project? Is it again to do with DNA testing?
My immediate project is to enjoy our first grandchild Raul Sanjay, who was born on 16th April; ‘The Last Prabhu’ was released to coincide with his month of birth to emphasize the fact that this book is all about roots. I have started a project to translate G Ghantkar’s Tombo de Aldona from the original Prakrit into English, a slow and arduous task for a person who is not an expert in oriental languages but I am confident that I will get there eventually. I also plan to do research on my wife’s deep ancestry.
NOTE: This book is currently available, for Rs 195, in Aldona: Dr Carlos Pharmacy/Rendeep Cyber Cafe 229 3703 or 229 3307. Also from Broadway (Panjim), Other India Bookstore (Mapusa), Golden Heart Emporium (Margao).