Goa

Victoria: An accidental politician who wanted to be nun or nurse...

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Team Herald
PANJIM: For the people of St Cruz, the days would never be the same again as their beloved “mummy” is no more. 
Former Deputy Speaker Victoria Fernandes, the iron lady from St Cruz, was a leader of masses and many few know she was a politician by accident.
Victoria, born in Curtorim, her father was a forest officer. She always wanted to be a nun or a nurse to work for the downtrodden.
Sources reveal while in a hospital after watching some nurses treat the patients badly, she decided to become a nurse and even started the process.
There was also a time she felt a calling to be a nun, but later realised it was just the positive after effects of a good retreat. 
Born in a middle class family, life wasn’t easy for this lioness from St Cruz and instead of becoming a nun or nurse she was married away.
Close relatives reveal her life was always a struggle right from the birth.
Victoria wasn’t born into a political family and instead worked her way to limelight and for the society due to her courageous approach. She was very well known as a crusader against social discrimination.
Victoria, who went on to represent St Cruz constituency for four terms, also wanted to see women empowerment.
She was the first lady to have won assembly election as an Independent and played a crucial role during the times of Opinion poll.
When the Council of Action was formed in 1960s to oppose the Goa’s merger with Maharashtra, she worked tirelessly to motivate people to protect the State’s identity and independence. 
On the social front, she backed the movement of traditional fishermen, vouched her support for the toddy tappers’ movement, worked with the Red Cross and nurses’ associations, formed the All Goa Vendors’ Association and helped set up NGOs, anganwadis, and mahila mandals all over the State.
Victoria loves theatre and despite her busy lifestyle, she found a way to act in a few plays and even do a cameo in the Bollywood movie ‘Goonj’. 
She was also the first Goan woman to be arrested under the National Security Act and imprisoned for three months in Aguada jail. 
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Mummy’s Social and cultural activities
* Helping the downtrodden masses of Goa Youth development and solving problems of women and children.
* Fighting for justice to the handicapped children. 
* Active participant of Ramponkars Movement, Toddy Tappers Movement and Movement against merger of Goa in Maharashtra. Ex- President, Pragati Mahila Mandal. 
* Member, Red Cross Society. Member, Konkani Bhasha Mandal –Goa. Member, Konkani Projecho Awaz. Member, Nurses Association. Member, Novem Goem Prathishtan Committee. 
* Spearheaded agitation against the inclusion of the Panchayat areas in the Planning Development Authorities and later against the Draconian Ordinance in the year 2005. 
* Participated in the Movement to save Goa from destruction and scrapping of the Regional Plan 2011. 
* Spearheaded the agitation against the prevention of dumping of garbage at Bainguinim, near Old Goa where the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier are kept. 
* Spearheaded the agitation to prevent the St Cruz Constituency wards from being included in the Panjim Municipality. 
* On the environmental front, supported several issues like the movement against the Nylon-66 plant, the Municipal waste dumped at Kadamba Plateau, water pollution, hazardous industries, afforestation, prevention of killing of wildlife, cutting of hill sites and filling of khazan lands. 
* From 1966 to 1987, for almost 21 years, participated in all the agitations for getting the Official Language Status for Konkani and Statehood for Goa. 
* Represented Goa in SAARC Conference on Women in New Delhi in 1995 and the Third Global Conference of Women in Politics and Governance in Manila, Philippines in October 2008, organised by the Centre for Asia – Pacific Women in Politics (CAPWIP) 
* Ex-chairperson of Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd.

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