Faleiro makes an impassioned plea for greater recognition of Francis Luis Gomes to V-P Dhankhar

 Team Herald

MARGAO: Rajya Sabha MP Luizinho Faleiro made an impassioned plea before the Vice- President (V-P) of India and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (RS), Jagdeep Dhankhar, for bestowing greater recognition and celebrating ‘one of India’s greatest sons’- Dr Francisco Luis Gomes.

Faleiro met the V-P in Delhi, where he presented him with books on Dr F L Gomes and delved further into the topic.  

“Dr Francisco Luis Gomes belongs to India and the world, not just Goa. This polymath can’t be forgotten. It is therefore my request that the country accord this great man his due as this will be in keeping with the principles of decolonising the mindset of the people that you are striving for,” said Faleiro in his letter to the VP.

He told Herald, “I am very happy that my visit has been very fruitful. They were also very happy to learn about the contributions of such a great Indian and they felt he should be celebrated not just all over the country but all over the world as well,” Faleiro added.

He also wrote a letter to Vice President Dhankhar stating that two days after Dr F L Gomes died at sea in Porbandar (Gujarat), the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was born in Porbandar and that recently the 153rd death anniversary of Dr F L Gomes was celebrated on September 30, while the 153rd birth anniversary of Gandhi was celebrated on October 2.

Reacting to reports in a section of the press under the cover of  unnamed “TMC officials” that his relationship with the party worsened after he wrote to PM Modi requesting funds under the MPLAD scheme, (to actually build a memorial for Dr Gomes) he said,  “I do not know who is planting these reports, but one thing is clear, anyone who objects to my genuine plea, and as per rules and entitlements, of building a memorial  to one of Goa’s greatest sons and freedom fighters  who passed away three days before the Mahatma was born, isn’t a Goan and does not understand Goa’s culture and ethos.”

“I am proud to be a son of Navelim, I am proud that Navelim has given birth to the greatest freedom fighter and patriot of India, Dr Francisco Luis Gomes, who propounded the concept of national freedom for India 35 years before the Indian National Congress was born,” Faleiro told Herald.

He added that Dr F L Gomes asked for liberty from the colonial rulers in India much before the popular launch of the freedom movement in 1857.

The MP also recalled in his letter to VP Dhankar who is also Chairman of the Rajya Sabha that he had moved a resolution during the last monsoon session of the Rajya Sabha urging the Government of India to construct a central museum complex as a fitting memorial in Navelim, the birthplace of Dr F L Gomes, where special land has been reserved.

Faleiro had also raised similar resolutions in the Goa Legislative Assembly.

He wrote, “I have funds in the MPLAD scheme, which I readily offer for such a museum complex. However, since I represent the State of West Bengal in the Rajya Sabha, the utilisation of the funds in Goa may require special permission. If such permission is obtained, that would be my contribution to the project,” said Faleiro in his letter to the VP.

Faleiro added that his views received a favourable response from the VP, who later shared a tweet about the visit. He pointed out that he had written to the Prime Minister of India and other senior leaders too. Regarding his proposal for the central museum complex, he said he was given an assurance that they will try and see how much money can be given for the project, which would be handed over to the Goa government.

The MP has also recently put up life-size Azulejos in Navelim on the national highway opposite the Church.

“As a proud Navelkar and as a proud Goan, I have taken up this issue. I have also delivered. I got one of the best libraries in Goa in the name of Dr Francisco Luis Gomes in Navelim. And before putting this up, I had travelled across the country to look for the best of the best that went into conceptualising that library,” Faleiro added.

He recalled that he had got two libraries in Goa when he was the education minister, one in Panjim and the second in Navelim. He added that the work of constructing the library in the name of Dr F L Gomes was done by the Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation and completed during his tenure but he could not inaugurate the same due to the then-Election Code of Conduct.