Reacting to a media query, freedom fighter Libia Lobo Sardessai clarified that Goa’s historic struggle was directed against the dictatorship in Portugal and not against the Portuguese nation itself.
Responding to questions, Sardessai remarked, “If Portugal does not exist? If we say long live Portugal, what is wrong with it? We didn’t fight against Portugal; we fought against the dictatorship of Portugal.”
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She explained that the movement for Goa’s liberation was aimed at ending authoritarian rule and securing freedom and democratic rights, rather than opposing a country or its people. Sardessai’s comments come amid ongoing discussions on Goa’s colonial history and the nature of its freedom movement.
The veteran freedom fighter reiterated that the essence of the struggle lay in resisting oppression and injustice, and called for a balanced understanding of history rooted in facts and context.
