Goa, though small in size and with a minuscule population of only around 600,000 before 1961, produced, in times gone by, people of great merit, who by virtue of their intellectual and moral prowess, made the land of their birth or origin proud of their performance and achievements and thus raised the name of Goa to great heights.
If Goa is famous today as a tourist destination, because of its beauty, culture and hospitality of its people, in the golden days of the past, it became known as the birthplace or the land of Abbe Faria, Francisco Luis Gomes, Agostinho Vicente de Lourenco, Froilano de Melo and many others.
The list of such ‘Greats’ is long and surely I am among the least competent to write on such eminent personalities, but will try, for the benefit the newer generations and of course of those willfully ignorant of Goa’s past history, to scribble a few lines on just a few of them, however inadequate and unworthy I feel for the job.
The three gentlemen I feel humbled to write, were thorough bred Goans, born and brought up in Goa. They were doctors, products of our prestigious Escola Medico-Cirurgica de Goa (emcg), the present Goa Medical College, which gave Goa reputed medicos and people of great moral and intellectual caliber, who distinguished themselves in various other fields of social, economic and political activity.
It is most unfortunate that despite EMCG having had students who made Goa proud and internationally famous, they were all ignored by Goa’s sycophant politicians, who opted to name the GMC Complex after a non-Goan politician.
Incidentally, these doctors were also politicians, but of a different mettle. They were men of impeccable character, integrity and intellect. In sharp contrast with these, who made Goa famous, those of today and recent times, not only smeared Goa’s name but made it shamefully notorious.
These three, perhaps the greatest among Goans, who fought for Goa, Goans, their interests and emancipation, ought to occupy their rightful place in Goa’s present history books. They have surely made a mark in world history, bringing great honour, glory and prestige to their place of birth.