Veteran freedom fighter Libia Lobo Sardesai, aged 100, was honoured with the Padma Shri on Sunday, recognizing her significant contribution to Goa’s liberation from colonial rule.
Between 1955 and 1961, Sardesai, alongside her colleague and future husband Vaman Sardesai, operated a covert radio station from the dense forests of the Western Ghats.
It was Libia who famously broadcast the announcement of Goa’s liberation from over 450 years of Portuguese rule on December 19, 1961. Her extraordinary journey is a testament to her courage and dedication
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Born on May 25, 1924, in Portuguese-controlled Goa, Libia Lobo Sardesai spent her formative years in Bombay . During her college days, she became actively involved with the Goan nationalist movement.
In 1954, following brutal assaults and mass arrests of satyagrahis by Portuguese authorities, India responded by sealing Goa’s borders and imposing a strict economic blockade. All transportation links , by sea, road, and rail were cut off, and only secret communication lines remained.
In August 1955, thousands of Indian satyagrahis attempted to enter Goa, only to be met with gunfire from Portuguese forces, resulting in numerous fatalities.
