PANJIM: 18 June 1946 marks a historic day in the Liberation
struggle of Goa, Daman and Diu. Though the freedom struggle started a few
decades after the Portuguese conquest of Goa in 1510, the 1946 meeting a Lohia
Maidan, before which Ram Manohar Lohia was arrested and Dr Juliao Menezes
addressed the people, gave an added surge to the freedom struggle. Though this
is now part of history, today is a second revolution needed to save Goa?
Senior statesmen, political analysts, advocates and activists have
reasserted the necessity of agitation, if not a revolution to save Goa and
India from the degradation of governance and civil liberties. Agitation and
revolution is the last resort they said for getting back civil liberties as
well as basic rights if the government which is supposed to listen to the
people does not heed their voices. Others opined that there was no revolution
in 1946, nor can we have a revolution now since people are bartering away their
land.
Senior Statesman and former MLA Uday Bhembre said, “ In a
democracy, agitation or revolution is necessary. What Ram Manohar Lohia did on
June 18, 1946 was an agitation, we call a Revolution Day, because if we take
the situation before this, it was a revolution where people came out on the
streets to demand civil liberties.”
“Today democracy is not working as per the wishes of the people.
Governance is not happening as desired. Therefore there is a need for
agitation. The reason being, that when people are silent, either through
suffering or apathy, then governance does not work well, or there is mischief
in governance. When the government does not listen to people nicely, then
agitation is the only way out,” Bhembre argued.
Adv. Cleofato Coutinho opined, “Goa Revolution Day in 1946 was
more against the Portuguese regime which was suppressing civil liberties. There
was no free speech. I find in the entire country the situation is such there is
scorn for intellectuals. The civil society is suppressed. The press is become
an appendage of the government. In such a situation, a people’s movement is
required. We find people’s movement is suppressed by agencies such as
Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and Criminal Bureau of
Investigation, which have now become allies of the government. The revolution
has started in some way with the results of the 2024 General Election which has
curtailed the power of the government.”
Advocate Radharao Gracias argued, “Goa need a first revolution. I
don’t know which was the first revolution you are talking of. Today we are
celebration Goa Revolution Day, but there never was any revolution as such,
only Ram Manohar Lohia came and made a speech. Making a speech is not a
revolution. There has never been a revolution in Goa. And Goa’s freedom did not
come because of a revolution or a movement. It came because the Indian Army
marched into Goa and evicted the Portuguese. Something which even the Supreme
Court of India confirms by its judgement of March 1969.”
“We do need a revolution, but it’s a misnomer to call it a second
revolution. Now it is really too late to have a revolution, because Goa is no
longer Goa. Revolution had to come from Goans. But now Goans are a small
minority. Goans are ready to sell themselves to the highest bidders. Revolution
is to be made by people who are angry, who love their land and who are ready to
stand up and fight for their rights. There are no such people in Goa, everybody
is become a ‘dalal’, Radharao opined.
Olencio Simoes, General Secretary of Goenchea Ramponkarancho
Ekvott said, “The central government is ruling like Salazar government as far
as people of Goa are concerned. From 2016 people are opposing the Port
expansion. More than 90 panchayats passed resolution that they don’t want coal
transportation and river nationalization. Even then the Centre and the State
are not listening to the people. When we protest, case are filed against us.
The same situation prevailed during the Salazar regime. Government should work
for the upliftment of the people.”
