Goa govt to seek historical documents back from Portugal

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Monday said his government would seek to get back the historical documents about the state which are in the possession of Portuguese authorities.

Speaking at a function at the ruins of Betul Fort to commemorate the 1674 coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he said these documents will be valuable for researchers and students.

Goa was ruled by the Portuguese till 1961.

The Archives and Archeology department of the Goa government will contact the Union External Affairs Ministry to get back all the documents which are currently in possession of Portugal, Sawant said.

Access to these documents will help us get the exact information about all the events that happened in the past,” he said.

There were attempts to erase the fact from history that Shivaji Maharaj had ruled parts of Goa, Sawant said.

Portuguese did not rule over entire Goa for 450 years, he said, adding that Hindu culture remained intact due to Shivaji Maharaj.

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