Respect those who dreamt for us to live in a free Goa
EVEN as the diamond jubilee celebrations of Goa’s Liberation from the Portuguese rule are underway, the Goa Freedom Fighters Association, whose members went to jail and made sacrifices to liberate Goa, have decided not to participate in them. Above all, the reason cited by them is lack of respect shown by the government; they say they should have been meaningfully consulted on the programmes for the diamond jubilee. It is indeed sad to note that freedom fighters were not given a respectable representation by the government on the 40-member committee set up for the celebrations. It was at the last moment when the 60th Liberation Day had drawn near, that the government asked the Goa Freedom Fighters Association to be represented. The 85-year-old Joaquim Pinto, the Association president joined the panel despite the prevailing unhappiness among the members over the government not making the Association an important part of the decision-making process for the celebrations. Pinto was the only freedom fighter on the committee and was asked to attend at less than 24-hour notice the meeting on December 1 to chalk out the programmes. Sadly, even as he made it to the Secretariat to attend the meeting, he got a call from officials informing him that the meeting was postponed to December 4. Taken aback by the treatment meted out to their president, the freedom fighters decided to keep away from the meetings of the panel. One of the reasons for not attending the meetings was also practical: they were scheduled in late evenings and they could not be there at those hours in their advanced age and for lack of transport.
It is highly regrettable that while we Goans are reaping the fruits of the struggles and sacrifices of the freedom fighters, the government did not think it appropriate to consult them meaningfully and sincerely when drawing up plans for diamond jubilee celebrations. What is even more regrettable is that the freedom fighters learnt of the government’s decision to felicitate them from the media. According to the freedom fighters, such felicitations were uncalled for as they had already been honoured in the past by the government according to the protocol. They want the government not to spend on such events. It is also surprising to note that at a time when the state and nation are battling the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences on the economic front the government, which is facing a resource crunch, has decided to spend Rs 100 crore for the diamond jubilee celebrations. There is little to disagree with the freedom fighters over their view that the celebrations should be kept low key in view of the coronavirus pandemic as there is fear of people, young and old, who turn up to attend the functions getting infected by the virus that has affected over 50,000 people in the state. Large gatherings at the celebration functions could lead to spread of the virus as people in these gatherings could compromise on wearing masks and maintaining safe distancing. The government should take into account the suggestion of the freedom fighters to keep the celebrations on a lower scale as was done during the celebrations of the Revolution Day on June 18 and the Independence Day.
The diamond jubilee of Goa’s Liberation should not have caused hurt to the freedom fighters, but unfortunately this was the first time that they were ignored by the government. The government has been indifferent to their plea to keep the celebrations muted. True to their ideals of sacrifice, they have not made an issue of them being ignored in planning and executing the diamond jubilee celebrations. However, they expressed their displeasure by staying away from the official functions. It is highly ungrateful on the part of the new generations that have been born after Goa’s Liberation to give little respect and importance to the men and women who did not care for their career or their families or their lives when they chose the path of struggle for freedom of Goa. They had no personal dream. Their dream was for us younger generations to live, grow and prosper in freedom. How can we ignore those who dreamt for us?