MARGAO: Offering floral tributes at the statue of Ram Manohar Lohia at Lohia Maidan, Margao, the Congress party on Monday demanded that the whole area be developed as a “fitting memorial” to the freedom struggle. Those who offered floral tributes were GPCC President Girish Chodankar, South Goa Congress District president Joe Dias, Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Babu Kavalekar, M K Shaikh, MLAs Digambar Kamat, Luizinho Faleiro and Clafasio Dias. Speaking to media persons, Kavalekar said they were recognizing Lohia’s contribution in uniting Goans to drive away the Portuguese regime from the land and added that the official government function should have been held in Margao where the incident actually took place way back in 1946. Since there were plans to demolish the comunidade building, which is in a dilapidated condition, Luizinho Faleiro suggested that the whole area be set up as a “fitting memorial” enlisting Goa’s freedom struggle for future generation to learn about it.
Girish Chodankar said Lohia Maidan has an important place in the nation’s history as the total Independence of the country from foreign rule commenced here, while Digambar Kamat said it was a historic place where the “Jai Hind” slogan united Goa with the rest of the country’s freedom struggle.
