Yesterday, 18th of this month, Goa marked the 69th
anniversary of the “Revolution Day” of Goa.
On this day 69 years back when Goa was under the control of Portugal,
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia coming from other part of Bharat came to Goa and gave a call to Goans
gathered at Loia Maidan Margao in big number to overthrow Portuguese government
in Goa. The Loia Maidan was named after
Dr. Lohia much later. This is the story given to us by our freedom fighters and
other Goan leaders as far as naming this day as Revolution Day since according
to our said leaders the spark of Goan revolution was fired by Dr. Lohia on this
date.
With due respect to Dr. Lohia and all his colleagues who were with him
on that day to defy the Portuguese regime, according to my information, Dr. Lohia
was brought to Goa by his Goan friend Dr. Juliao Menezes from Assolna for rest and
treatment for his sickness. Being a ferocious
freedom fighter against Britishers in Bharat, he became restless in Goa to fire
a salvo against the Portuguese rule. Hence,
to give a clarion call to Goans against Portuguese rule, he was brought to Lohia
Maidan by his Goan friends. While he was
about to deliver his fiery speech for the gathering which was not mammoth but
average, he was whisked away by the Portuguese security personnel and pushed to
Goa border to cross on to the other side.
While leaving from Lohia Maidan he passed on his written speech to his
Goan colleague but he too was arrested snatching from his hand the speech by the security personnel.
If this news is true, how his statue at Lohia Maidan depicts his pose differently as if he is speaking?
Secondly, I feel the first step for Goan revolution against Portuguese
rule in Goa was laid by the Goan Catholic Priests from Pinto family in
Candolim, Bardez, Goa centuries back, before the birth of French Revolution. In view
of this, I strongly feel that Pintos Revolt should be marked as the birth of
Goan Revolution and not as 18th June to salute Dr. Lohia. I feel the trend to down play the efforts of
Christians in Goa’s freedom movement should be stopped and they must be given their rightful
place of course rightly and deservingly.
It is a history that said what Pintos did for Goa’s freedom none others
did.
Secondly, it was brought to light how shabbily the freedom fighters were
treated yesterday at Azad Maidan by the authorities. According to me the Goan freedom fighters
are feeling the step motherly treatment they are getting from the authorities. In this respect though they are right but
according to me they must not expect anything from the government for being freedom
fighters. Their (only the genuine ones)
struggle, sacrifices and sufferings are priceless and as such the same cannot
be compensated with material benefits.
Yet my regret is that after the ouster of Portuguese from Goa they in
totality remained inactive as far as Goa’s well being is concerned. I don’t think they challenged Portuguese to
see the state of Goa reaching to such an ebb where Goa is getting degoanised
and recolonized by the non-Goans. In
most of the Goan freedom fighters I see nothing but craze for material benefits
as if they joined freedom movement only for personal gains. They are the only Goans who are capable of
raising their voices in unison very vociferously against the authorities for
the corruption they spread in Goa. I am
sure it was not their wish to see Goa is going to the dogs. But to prevent it, have they done or doing
anything concrete?
The voice of freedom fighters is more
audible than mine but did they raise their voice forcefully or they confined to the
benefits they are given? They are duty
bound to shake the corrupt authorities in Goa spreading all round
corruption. If they still remain dormant
then surely posterity will hold them responsible for their inaction because of
which Goa is suffering today. If
necessary all the genuine freedom fighters must be ready to surrender their
Tamrapatras and even pensions and other benefits as a mark of protest for what
rot is going on in Goa.
Rabindra Tagore surrendered his Knighthood to the British for doing injustice to Bharat and thereby created a history which means Tagore showed his displeasure over the treatment the British were giving to India. In the same manner can our freedom fighters do?
A. Veronica Fernandes,
Candolim, Goa.
Tel:7507394349.
