Panaji: Margao will witness the release of 64 Days of 18 June 1946, a new book by journalist and author Sandesh Prabhudesai, on Independence Day, August 15, 2026. The book will be formally released by 102 year old veteran freedom fighter Adv Libia Lobo Sardesai at the Black Box of Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, at 4.30 pm.
Published by Qurate Publishers, the English language book spans more than 300 pages and offers an extensive account of the 64 day movement that transformed Goa’s political landscape in 1946. It traces how ordinary people across the region joined spontaneous street protests, often without central leadership or a formal organisational structure.
A significant focus of the book is the participation of communities in the Christian dominated villages of the Old Conquests, as well as Goans in Bombay. Many of those who became involved in the movement were remarkably young, with several local leaders aged between 14 and 30. Their involvement reflects the role played by young people in challenging colonial authority.
The book examines how Dr Rammanohar Lohia’s civil liberties campaign developed into a wider mass movement involving different sections of Goan society. It also explores the economic grievances that fuelled public anger and the growing political demand for freedom from Portuguese colonial rule under the Salazar regime.
Prabhudesai also looks at the wider national and international impact of the uprising, along with differences among local leaders that influenced the movement’s course and outcome.
Political scientist and analyst Professor Dr Peter Ronald de Souza will be the main speaker at the launch. Abhishek Ranjan Singh, chairman of the Dr Rammanohar Lohia Research Foundation and a national journalist, will attend as Guest of Honour. Researcher Dr Nishtha Desai has contributed the foreword, while journalist and author Anwesha Singbal will host the event.
Pre booking for the book has begun on Amazon at a special discounted price. A further discounted price will be offered at the launch, while an e book edition is expected to follow soon.
