Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. The award is conferred in recognition of "distinguished contribution in various spheres of activity including public affairs."
Heroic Goans such as Purushottam Kakodkar, Dr Jack de Sequeira, Chandrakant Keni, Shabu Desai, Uday Bhembre, Narcinva Naik, Dr Alvaro Loyola Furtado, Urminda Lima Leitao, Vasudev Salgaocar, Vasudeo Sarmalker, Ravindra Kelekar, Bakibab Borkar, Manoharai Sardesai, Ulhas Buyao, Vasudeo Sarmalkar and Vijayabai Sarmalkar and others who played a pre-eminent role in winning the Opinion Poll should be recommended for the Padma Shri awards or even for the Padma Bhushan award which is given for "distinguished service of a high order". The Padma Bhushan award criteria includes "service in any field." Their yeoman service has been to save an entire race of Goans from being extinguished, as attempted by the MGP and its allies.
The service rendered by the above eminent Goans is of such a high order that without their efforts, today Goa as a state would not exist. The fusion of East and West which creates a unique culture called Goa, would not exist to enrich the incredible India experience, which we portray to the world. Our politicians should realise that they wouldn’t be holding their offices without the heroic efforts of the eminent Goans who fought for winning the Opinion Poll.
Purushottam Kakodkar was instrumental in convincing Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and the Home Ministry about the unique identity of Goa and through official channels succeeded in getting the Opinion Poll for Goa.
Equally important was the role of Dr Jack de Sequeira, who as leader of the United Goans Party succeeded in mobilising political and public opinion for holding the Opinion Poll. He funded the UGP, given his background as a prominent businessman.
Besides the powerful group around the newly launched Marathi daily Rashtramat, headed by Chandrakant Keni funded by Shantilal and Bappalal Gosalia, three Timblo brothers and Vasudeo and Ramkrishna Salgaocar were instrumental in fighting to save Goa from merger. Through Marathi, Rashtramat sought to reach out to a larger section of the people but also carried articles in Devanagari Konkani to achieve its purpose.
Uday Bhembre gave up his college studies in Mumbai and came down to become a journalist and through his columns Brahmastra, where over 1500 articles were written, he managed to counter the Marathi-Merger propaganda of the MGP and other groups, point by point.
Shabu Desai formed a group called Sangapradesh Jyot (Torch of Union Territory) which went from place to place shouting slogans and indulging in pro-Union Territory propaganda. This Jyot was present at almost every major meeting.
Ulhas Buyao created a cultural troupe (to counter the Marathi artistes who were brought by the Marathi-Merger lobby) and performed before every programme propagating a separate Union Territory.
Ravindra Kelekar who was the Congress candidate for Margao in the 1963 elections mobilised in favour of Separate Union Territory for Goa as a politician and as a writer. He wrote extensively in Rashtramat to save Goa from merger and propagated Konkani as the mother tongue of Goans.
Similarly, Manoharai Sardesai who was a French Teacher at Chowgule College wrote in favour of retaining Union Territory under the pseudonym 'Katupai' without speaking on a public platform. Bakibab Borkar too wrote under a pseudonym 'Umloh' since he was a government employee at All India Radio.
Besides the above eminent Goans, Narcinva Naik, Vice President of the UGP, Urminda Lima Leitao of Vasco, Enio Pimenta of Curtorim, Luis Proto Barbosa of Cansaulim, all members of UGP, and Dr Alvaro Loyola Furtado of Chinchinim, who was first elected president of the UGP and then made way for Dr Jack de Sequeira fought tirelessly for retaining Goa as a separate political entity, its culture and rich heritage. Vasudeo Sarmalkar and Vijayabai Sarmalkar from Margao too worked actively to save Goa from being merged with Maharashtra.
The least the State government can do is to recommend the names of these Goan greats for the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan or for the highest category of State Awards. The work of the eminent Goans who fought to save Goa should be written in the annals of the history of Goa, so that future generations will forever remain grateful that a beautiful land such as Goa was saved by them for generations to come.