Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant today released five volumes documenting the trials of Freedom Fighters and inaugurated a special exhibition featuring portraits of Freedom Fighters created by students of the Goa College of Art.
The event, organized by the Department of Goa Gazetteer and Historical Records, was held in the city, with Secretary (Gazetteer), Prasad Lolayekar, IAS, serving as the guest of honor.
In his speech, Chief Minister Dr. Sawant reiterated that the Patradevi Martyrs Memorial will be inaugurated by December 19, 2024. He emphasized the significance of remembering the contributions of Freedom Fighters, highlighting the memorials established for key figures of the Goa Liberation Movement, such as Hirve Guruji and Sheshnath Wadekar. Reflecting on the sacrifice of Karnail Singh Benipal, who gave his life for Goa’s freedom in 1955, Dr. Sawant shared that he had visited Benipal’s family to personally pay his respects to his widow.
Dr. Sawant informed that he has instructed the PWD to erect a statue of late Freedom Fighter Alfred Alfonso in recognition of his contribution to Goa’s liberation.
Praising the students’ artwork, the Chief Minister promised that the portraits of the Freedom Fighters will be framed, preserved and displayed in a museum.
Commending the efforts of the students, he stressed the importance of ensuring that Goa’s history reaches every citizen, particularly the youth, so they can understand the sacrifices of the Freedom Fighters.
The Chief Minister said that most of the children of Freedom Fighters have been given government jobs, with only a few cases pending due to delayed document submission.
The Chief Minister also presented books to the family members of the late Alfred Afonso, late Anthony De Souza, late Vilasini Prabhu, and late Shridhar Sirsat.
Additionally, 20 students and faculty members from the Goa College of Art received mementos from the Chief Minister.
Prasad Lolayekar, IAS, also shared a significant historical event, recounting the famous Satyagraha of August 15, 1954, during which Alfred Afonso, Anthony De Souza, and Mark Fernandes led groups of Freedom Fighters into Goa to challenge Portuguese rule.
Rohidas Desai, President of the Goa Daman and Diu Freedom Fighters Association, reflected on the pivotal role of Freedom Fighters in Goa’s liberation from Portuguese rule, highlighting the contributions of T.B. Cunha to the freedom movement.
Dr Balaji Shenoy, Executive Editor in his welcome address informed that Department of Goa Gazetteer and Historical Records has published these books as part of the series “Source Material for the History of the Freedom Movement of Goa.” The books feature translated trial files from Portuguese to English, documenting key trials from Goa’s freedom movement. Other two volumes highlight the trials of Srimati Divker, Shashikala Hodarkar and Vilasini Prabhu, focusing on the role of women in Goa’s liberation struggle.
The Department has edited these translated trial files, which were originally preserved in the Department of Archives. The trials were conducted by the Portuguese Territorial Military Court against freedom fighters involved in pro-Goa Liberation activities.
The five volumes released include Trial of Alfred Afonso and others, Trial of Anthony De Souza and others, Trial of Mark Fernandes and others, Trial of Krishnabai alias Srimati Divkar and others and Trial of Shashikala Hodarkar and Vilasini Prabhu.
These books will provide valuable resources for researchers, academicians, and readers exploring Goa’s freedom struggle, he added.
