PANAJI: The freedom fighters, on the occasion of the 70th Goa Revolution Day, expressed concern over the growing cases of Goans opting for Portuguese nationality and surrendering their rights by seeking Portuguese passport.
They also expressed displeasure at the support of the government for English language as the medium of instruction at the primary school level.
Governor Mridula Sinha delivering her speech at the state-level Goa Revolution Day function held at Azad Maidan, on Saturday, said that June 18, an auspicious day and a day of festivities, should also be a day of introspection for every Goan. She further stated that a hurricane of progress and development has hit Goa, and the people of the state, therefore, should be happy and content.
Furthermore, the Governor said that Mahatma Gandhi had effectively used the charkha or spinning wheel during the national freedom struggle, for spreading the concept of nationality.
“Unfortunately, Gandhiji’s dreams were crushed by his own people,” she lamented, adding that today, the initiative of Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, has resulted in 10 lakh women around the country using the spinning wheels to spin khadi and earn income.
Earlier, the Governor along with the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza, Minister for Forest and Environment Rajendra Arlekar, Chief Secretary R K Srivastava, other dignitaries and freedom fighters paid floral tributes at the Martyrs Memorial, at Azad Maidan, while remembering the known and unknown freedom fighters, who fought to liberate Goa.
The day is remembered for the clarion call given by the socialist leader Dr Ram Manohar Lohia for the freedom of Goa, seventy years ago, at Margao, on June 18, 1946.
The Chief Minister stated that today, Goa is no longer dependent on others for many things, as governments over the years have contributed to the progress and development of the state.
He also maintained that there would be no compromise over the integrity of the nation.
The president of Goa, Daman and Diu Freedom Fighters Association Shyamsundar Nagvekar, speaking on the occasion, said that the government has not fully resolved the issue of government services to the children of the freedom fighters.
He also regretted that the number of people attending the Revolution Day function is dwindling, every year, further maintaining that the youth should participate in the function in large numbers and listen to the views of freedom fighters, who are in the advance stage of their life.
The president of Goa, Daman and Diu Freedom Fighters Association, Chandrakant Kenkre, in his speech spoke against the Portuguese government for trapping the Goan youth with the lure of jobs in Europe, and enticing them to go for Portuguese nationality and Portuguese passport, surrendering their Indian nationality.
“This issue is a challenge to the government, as its repercussions would be felt all over the country,” he noted, requesting the government to grant Indian nationality to such ‘stranded’ Goan youth, within the parameters of the Indian Constitution. Kenkre also flayed the government for ignoring the national language, Hindi and the state languages namely Konkani and Marathi, in preference to English.
“The government may have been prompted to give grants to primary English schools by FORCE (Forum for Rights of Children to Education), but there exists a major force at the Martyrs Memorial, Azad Maidan, in the form of the mortal remains of the great nationalist T B Cunha,” he quipped, maintaining that this “major force” should guide the government in right direction.
The Chief Minister also interacted with the school children, who attended the Revolution Day function.