PANJIM: Goa Revolution Day will be quite different from the past this time. While the state government will have its state-level function at Azad Maidan in Panjim on June 18, the Goa, Daman and Diu Freedom Fighters Association has decided to boycott the function saying that the government decision to give grants to English medium primary school would lead to 'deculturalization'.
Pressing for the demand to withdraw the cabinet decision on medium of instruction, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will also boycott the function. BJP president Laximikant Parsekar said, "When this government is trying to destroy the culture of Goa during the golden jubilee of Goa's liberation, the government has no right to celebrate the function hence we have decided to boycott it." Freedom fighters association president Nagesh Karmali said, "We have informed the freedom fighters that they need to decide if they want to attend the government function on June 18." The government will felicitate 16 freedom fighters on Goa Revolution Day which include 11 posthumous and five living.
Karmali also said that they will boycott the official government function at Panjim, Ponda and Margao on June 18 and stand outside the Azad Maiden till the government function gets over to pay homage to the martyrs.
"We will not shout slogans outside the Azad maiden, we will also not disturb the government function," said Karmali. Governor S S Sidhu will pay homage to freedom fighters who embraced martyrdom for the sake of the state's freedom. As per the programme announced by chief minister Digambar Kamat, speaker of legislative assembly Pratapsingh Rane, will place wreaths at the martyrs memorial at Azad Maidan.
Some senior citizens' groups from Margao have also decided to boycott Revolution Day functions both in Panjim and Margao. Gurunath Kelekar, member of the government set-up committee to look after Lohia Maidan, Margao said this year he would not attend the celebrations. "I do not know what the PWD minister Churchill Alemao will speak about but if he speaks about the MOI issue, I won't agree with him and that's why I won't be on the dais," said Kelekar a regular for such celebrations.
BJP-supported Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch (BBSM) spearheading the anti-English agitation, however, has taken a different line. BBSM convenor Shashikala Kakodkar said, "They have not decided to boycott the Goa Revolution Day official function and people can take their own decision." – TNN
The right place for the freedom fighters to be is outside the Azad Maidan. I hope they will remain there for all the years to come. They have lost all their respect for their acts. Goa will only shine if there are no freedom fighters left. All the revenue of pension can be spent on the poor goans families.
ReplyDeleteThe genuine freedom fighters of Goa are no more and we must pay our due respects to them. Perhaps only a handful are still living amongst us.
ReplyDeleteBut the stray dogs who are very vocal today are making noise only because they have to justify the huge monthly pension and loads of other benefits that they and their families enjoy from the government, because ebveryone is aware that their contribution to Goa's liberation was that they were jailed for some time for committing thefts and other crimes during that time.
Naguesh Karmali for instance was once caught pick pocketing some one near the Lohia Maidan, there are also stories that he committed many house thefts.
So who cares whether they stay away from such functions, if they have the guts they should return all the bhik that they get from the govt
First of all no one acknowlledges them as freedom fighters, but infact hate them for beings pests and a drain on the Govt treasury. They should be shot like stray dogs and dumped at sonsoddo along with garbage king Joking Alemao.
50 years down the invasion, how many more freedom fighters are still left to be felicitated by the govt and on what flimsy grounds? The genuine FF are either dead, (may their soul rest in peace) or leading a quiet retired life. The fake ones are still harping about their worth and expecting more bhik. This Fake FF thing has become one big scam in goa.
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