Goa Liberation Struggle: N G Goray, Shirubhau Limaye (English)

Goa Liberation Struggle

The Portuguese retained their control over Goa, Daman and Diu even after the rest parts of India had gained freedom from the British. During the mid- fifties when the Lisbon Government refused to give up its claim over its ‘overseas colonies’, a large number of nationalists from other parts of India

joined in the Goans in liberating the Portuguese colony.

Bombay : Bombay had become a major centre of Goa liberation struggle from where many Goans and others planned their moves for forcing the Portuguese to quit Goa. However for a brief period, Pune had become a major centre of Goa Liberation struggle. In 1955, a large number of teams of Satyagrahis were sent from Pune to Goa to bring the territory into the national mainstream. Leaders of various regional and national political parties had joined the movement cutting across their political differences.

The liberation movement which was initially restricted to Goans residing in Goa and to those settled in Bombay received a major boost when people from different parts of the country decided to come to the aid of the nationalist Goans. Goa Liberation Assistance Committee was formed in Pune to assist Goans in their struggle and to mobilize the support of the Indian public for the cause. The Goa Liberation Assistance Committee, headed by Mr. Keshavrao Jedhe, included Mr. N. G.Goray, Mr. Shirubhau

Limeye, Mr. Jayantrao Tilak, Mr. R. K. Khadilkar, Mr. Rambhau Mhalgi and Mr. Mahadeoraoshastri Joshi.

“We formed the committee after it was realised that the Goans on their own found it difficult to sustain the liberation struggle,” says Mr. Shirubhau Limaye, adding “Goa was geographically, culturally and in all other respects very much a part of India and we felt that as Indians we could not remain passive spectators while the Goans risked their lives for uniting their territory with India”.

Goa Liberation Committee which operated from the office of the Marathi daily ‘Kesari’ in Pune served as the centre to send batches of Satyagrahis drawn from all parts of India to Goa and to mobilize public support for the lliberation struggle. The present Chairman of the State Legislative Council,

Mr. Jayantrao Tilak was the moving spirit behind the activities of the committee.

A speech delivered by Mr. N. G. Goray at the Gomantak (Goa) Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, held at Karwar in 1954, set the ball rolling for participation of Indians in Goa liberation struggle. The Sammelans of Goan Marathi writers were always held outside their own territory. Mr. Goray who

was the president of the Karwar literary meet in his address expressed the hope that the next Sahitya Sammelan would be held in Goa itself. This speech originated the idea of Indians coming to the aid of the Goan nationalists in liberating Goa from the foreign regime.

First Batch : Mr. Goray led the first batch of Satyagrahis from Pune to Goa. On entering the Portuguese colony, Mr.Goray, aged the freedom fighter, Senapati Bapat and other Satyagrahis were brutally assaulted by the Portuguese police. Barring Goray, all other Satyagrahis were later left at Goa border. This practice of assaulting the Satyagrahis and later leaving them at the border continued as Goa Liberation Committee sent more batches of Satyagrahis to Goa. However leaders of all the batches

including Mr. Goray, Mr. Shiribhau Limaye, Mr. Rajaram Patil, Mr. Jagannathrao Joshi, Mr. Madhu Limaye and Mr. Tridibkumar Choudhary were arrested and tried by military court.

Goa Liberation Committee had announced its plan to organize a mass Satyagraha in Goa on August 15, 1955. Simultaneously, the nationalists also mounted pressure on the Indian government to send army into the Portuguese colony to liberate it. However the Indian Government was unwilling to use force even for the liberation of its own territory. Addressing a public rally in Pune on June 4, 1955, the then Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru, stated, “No armed action has ever solved any problem in the world.”

Resolution : The Indian Government was also opposing Indians entering Goa in large number to stage Satyagraha for the fear of large scale killing by the Portuguese police. The Congress Working Committee had also adopted a resolution to the effect. However cutting across the party differences, a large number of leaders and others decided to go ahead with the mass Satyagraha.

In all, 20,000 persons from all over the country had registered themselves with the city-based Goa Liberation Committee for the mass Satyagrahs.

However the committee restricted the number to 3,000. Nevertheless, 4,000 persons and arrived at Belgaum, the venue of launching the Satyagraha, well in advance and waited eagerly to enter Goa border. Goa Liberation Committee leaders had arranged 60 trucks to carry the hundreds of Satyagrahis to the Goa border. But the Chief Minister of the Bombay State, Mr.Morarji Desai, issued an order, preventing use of any vehicles to carry the Satyagrahis. Undaunted, large number of Satyagrahis,

led by Mr. Madhu Dandavate and others marched to the Goa border covering a distance of 125 km on foot and reached Goa border on August 15, 1955. The rest is history.

The Satyagrahis, seen off by Mr. S. M. Joshi, Mr. Keshavrao Jedhe and others, effected entry into Goa from different places. At each entry point, bullets greeted them. In the firing which took place at Patradevi, Terekhol, Surle, Dodamarg and other places, 20 Satyagrahis died on the sport and nine others later succumbed to their injuries. There was no account of the number of persons who sustained severe injuries in the shooting. August 15, 1955 is, therefore, called as the Black Monday in the history of Goa’s liberation.

The massacre created strong reactions in different parts of India and in the Lok Sabha, too. The subsequently years witnessed hectic diplomatic activities on the international front on the issue of the Portuguese presence in Goa, Daman and Diu.. When the Portuguese dictator, Salazar, refused

to accept Indian’s claim over Goa, Daman and Diu, the Prime Minister, Pandit Nehru, ordered the Indian army to march into the Portuguese colony. ‘Operation Vijay’, launched by the Indian army, met little resistance from the Portuguese army. The Portuguese Governor in Goa, Manuel Antonio

Silva, surrendered to Brigadier K. S. Dhillon on December 19, 1961.

Thus, the 450-year- old Portuguese rule in Goa came to an end and this beautiful territory once again joined the national main stream.