Recounting the hard times faced by freedom fighters during Goa’s Liberation Movement, including that
of his own, such as the time when he was imprisoned, former Inspector General
of Police of Goa Prabhakar Sinari’s book ‘From Darkness to Dawn’ , his memoir,
offers a first person narration of the militant struggle against the colonial
power.
“This book is a factual account of my
participation in the Goa Liberation Movement and covers my 16 years of
involvement as a freedom fighter till Goa was liberated in 1961,” says Sinari.
The noted freedom fighter says that the
memoir definitely does not form pleasant reading, but it is still important
that everybody reads the same, especially the younger generation, who, he
feels, have very little knowledge about the freedom struggle of this land.
The octogenarian cautions that the book is not romanticisation
of the era, but a recollection of a time when brave people, young and old,
became soldiers of the liberation movement against the colonial oppression of
the Portuguese rulers.
“This is about how that participation in this struggle made them
encounter harsh conditions, punishment, unbearable torture and long prison
sentences. Not to mention the hardship and sufferings their families had to
withstand,” reveals Sinari.
Observing that India had faced oppression and had been ravaged
by outside rulers, Sinari points out that his memoir tries to expose the ugly
face of the erstwhile Portuguese rulers, who ruled this land and are today
given a humane face by many.
On
that note, he adds that the account of the tortures that generations of freedom
fighters had to suffer, will send shivers down the spines of those reading it.
“The condition of the prison cell where I was confined was so
horrific that I could not even breathe properly, so much so that I had to stand
near a small opening to get access to air. Today though, the forts have been
renovated and the facelift given to them has whitewashed all the evidence of
the horrible times spent by freedom fighters under the Portuguese,” says
Sinari.
After describing the years that he spent in prison, Sinari
speaks about how he went underground thereafter. “After escaping from prison, a
manhunt was launched to nab me and policemen and officers were promised heavy
incentives. Fortunately, I foiled their every attempt and as a guerilla freedom
fighter, I gave the Portuguese government a tough time,” he recounts.
Sinari reiterates the importance of the first-hand account of
many important events during the Goan freedom movement as he hopes his
narrative will help wipe out the many misconceptions with regard to the
movement, many of which he feels took shape after Goa got freedom from the
colonial rule. He adds that he tried to give a list of names of Goan martyrs in
his book and he says that he hoped his memoir will give a true picture of the
struggles and sacrifices of the freedom fighters.
“There is a general perception about freedom fighters that the
Goa liberation came easily and cheaply. But this perception comes from
ignorance and disrespect to those who risked their lives and the lives of their
families to end Portuguese rule,” he passionately says.
He adds that he wishes he had released his memoir much earlier
but that he is very happy that it has finally seen the light of day. Speaking
about the present times, he expresses sadness when he sees how freedom fighters
are ignored in the invitee list at official government national day functions
and yet people of questionable repute are invited for these functions.
“Freedom
fighters are treated as liabilities rather than assets. Please remember that
those who fought for the freedom of our land are the ornaments of our nation,”
he concludes.