Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Aam Aadmi Party today commemorated Kranti Dis (Revolution Day) in Margao and Panaji, offering homage to the martyrs of Goa’s liberation struggle.
At Margao, AAP leaders Adv. Pratima Coutinho, Sandesh Telekar, Capt. Venzy Viegas and others offered floral tributes at the Lohia Maidan. Speaking at the occasion, Adv. Coutinho said that under BJP’s authoritarian rule, it feels like Goa is still in the clutches of the Portuguese dictator Salazar. Coutinho condemned the fact that today justice is out of reach of the common man, there are regular assaults on citizens and activists who speak out, and there are unreasonable restrictions on public gatherings and free expression. Sandesh Telekar expressed gratitude to Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia for uniting and inspiring Goans to intensify the liberation struggle. Telekar lamented that despite achieving liberation, Goans are still struggling for basic amenities like water, electricity, education and healthcare.
In Panaji, AAP leaders Adv. Surel Tilve, Valmiki Naik, Gorakhnath Kerkar, Manuel Cardozo, Sunil Signapurkar and others paid homage at the Martyr’s Memorial at Azad Maidan. Reciting “18 June”, the famous Konkani poem by Late Manoharrai Sardessai, State Vice-President Surel Tilve said that the memory of the martyrs who gave their life for Goa’s liberation continues to inspire the youth. Tilve castigated the BJP Govt for its “hukumshahi”, and vowed to continue the revolution to truly free Goa from what he called the “Salazar mentality”. AAP leader Valmiki Naik recalled that the 18th June 1946 gathering in Margao was to protest the Portuguese Govt’s restriction on public meetings in Goa. Stating that history is repeating under the BJP Govt, he lamented that even Azad Maidan, itself named for “freedom”, has been closed down for protests and public meetings.
AAP’s Youth Wing consisting of Shripad Pednekar, Ritesh Shenai and Hamid Shaikh, led the AAP volunteers to the nearby plaque etched with the names of the 67 freedom fighters who gave their lives for Goa’s liberation struggle. In an interesting exercise to honour these martyrs and to make sure their names are not forgotten, the AAP volunteers announced every one of the 67 names followed by shouts of “amar rahe, amar rahe” after each name.
