MARGAO: The South Goa District Congress Committee on Thursday observed the 132nd Foundation Day of the party with only three of the 10 party MLAs from South Goa attending the function even as party leaders exhorted members to take pride in the fact that Congress is the oldest party in Asia and celebrate the foundation day as individuals celebrate their birthdays.
The three MLAs present were Leader of Opposition Babu Kavlekar, former chief minister and now Ponda MLA Ravi Naik and Cuncolim MLA Clafasio Dias. Babu and Clafasio left mid-way through the function to attend the annual Christmas meeting the Archbishop holds for politicians and eminent citizens of the State.
South Goa District President Sandesh Phaldessai while disclosing that all MLAs were invited for the function opined that they might have not attended due to the Bishop’s function and said that Isidore Fernandes had expressed his inability to attend the function when informed about it.
Congress Vice President M K Shaikh tracing the history of the party disclosed that it was not formed to fight for independence. “Allan Octavio Hume had formed the Indian National Congress merely as a safety valve to take people’s grievances to the British to get some relief as otherwise the anger would have exploded into a revolt,” he said.
However, subsequently, the party grew and it was when Mahatma Gandhi came to India after the success of satyagraha in South Africa that the actual movement for India’s freedom commenced with Gandhi as the undisputed leader of this movement till the independence was gained.
“Congress is built on democracy, secularism and inclusive growth,” he said pointing out that the first three presidents of the Party were W C Banerjee a hindu, Dadabai Nauroji a Parsi and Badrudin Tyavji, a Muslim.
Five senior congress members were felicitated. They are Baptista Pereira from Ponda and Agostinho Carvalho from Canaguinim who joined the Congress when the United Goan merged with the party. Others felicitated were Damodar Borkar from Margao and Carmino Rodrigues from Velim who had joined the Congress in 1962 when he was schooling in Bombay.
The only lady member to be felicitated was Magna Colaco from Cansaulim who despite being a neighbor of Matanhy Saldanha stood by the Congress and admits that the Saldanha family was upset with her because of her political stance.
Goa Pradesh Congress President Shantaram Naik while complimenting the district committee for continuing the tradition of felicitating old and loyal members lamented that the present government was trying to destroy the legacy of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
