Goa govt honours the kin of martyrs on Liberation Day eve

Panaji, Dec 18 (PTI) On the eve of Goa Liberation Day, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday honoured the family members of those who sacrificed their lives during the movement to end Portuguese colonial rule in the coast state.

Talking to reporters after the felicitation function, the CM said the state government paid tribute to their martyrs. Their kin were presented with a certificate of honour and monetary benefit.

The Goa Liberation Day is celebrated on December 19 every year to mark the success of ‘Operation Vijay’ undertaken by the armed forces to liberate the state from the Portuguese in 1961.

Sawant said he had the honour of visiting and felicitating the “Veerpatni of martyr Karnail Singh Benipal in Haryana whose contribution to the struggle remains etched in our hearts”.

He said the families of several freedom fighters were honoured on Wednesday, said Sawant.

He named some of the martyrs as Bala Raya Mapari, Basavraj Hudgi, Sheshnath Wadekar, Tulshiram Balkrishna Hirve, Baburao Keshav Thorat, Sakharam Shirodkar, Rohidas Mapari, Yeshwant Agarwadekar, Ramchandra Nevgi, Bapu Vishnu Gavas, Babla Parab, Laxman Velingkar, Keshavbhai Tengse, and Parshuram Acharya.

Sawant said that Goa endured nearly 450 years of “despotic and oppressive Portuguese colonial rule”. The resilient spirit of the Goan people and those from neighbouring regions and states was behind the uprising against colonial tyranny.

He said that the coastal state’s struggle for liberation after India’s independence was particularly significant as freedom fighters from across the nation joined hands with Goans.

“In this valiant struggle, 74 brave souls made the ultimate sacrifice and this recognition and felicitation by our government reflect our unwavering commitment to honour and remember the sacrifices of these freedom fighters and their families,” said Sawant. PTI RPS NR