Noted freedom fighter, veteran journalist and writer and former distinguished bureaucrat, Armando Santana Pereira passed away in the early hours of Saturday, in Margao. He was 92.
A native of Chinchinim, Pereira joined Goa’s freedom movement, when he was just out of teens. He enrolled himself in Escola Medico-Cirurgica de Goa but soon gave it up as also his Law studies to participate wholeheartedly in the freedom struggle. In recognition of his valiant efforts for Goa’s freedom from Portuguese rule, he was awarded the Tamra Patra by the Union Government in 1992.
Armando Pereira took to journalism at a very early age and was a regular contributor to O Heraldo from 1945 to 1953. Articles which remained unpublished due to Portuguese censorship, he would send them for publication to Anglo-Lusitano in Bombay. Realizing this, the Portuguese authorities arrested him in 1951 and many times thereafter. He went thereafter to Bombay where he continued with greater vigour his anti-Portuguese movement.
After Goa’s merger with India, Armando returned to Goa and was appointed to various important positions, as Administrator of Quepem Taluka, Administrator of South Goa Comunidades and President of Camara Municipal de Salcete, which post he resigned, after differences with and interference of MGP Government. In all these positions, he served with much competence, efficiency and integrity.
From 1995 to 2004, he wrote regularly several articles in O Heraldo. A compilation of these writings is nearly ready for release, which include some poems and articles titled” Flowers of Grass”, which evinced much interest in the readers.
In his death, Goa loses an illustrious son, who left his footprints in the sands of time by his indomitable courage and unflinching integrity in all the fields he worked.
His funeral will take place this evening at 4 p.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, Benaulim
