Thaindian News

Panaji, Feb 15 (IANS) Freedom fighters who fought for Goa’s liberation from the Portuguese rule will this year visit the same villages which actively resisted the four-century old Luso regime. Speaking to reporters here Tuesday, a group of freedom fighters and other citizens said that more than 200 villages would be covered under the programme which was being held to commemorate the 50 years of Goa’s independence from the Portuguese rule.

“In every village, we are going to publicly recognise and award the brave freedom fighters who sacrificed much to free Goa from Portuguese yoke,” said Subhash Velingkar, a senior Rashtriya Sevak Sangh functionary and convenor of the Prerana charitable trust, which is organising the programme.

“We have noticed that patriotism amongst the youths is on wane and through this programme we plan to create this awareness,” he said.

Veteran freedom fighter Flaviano Dias has been made the chairman of the committee set up to draw the schedule of the nationalistic event.

Dias said that 60 percent of the freedom fighters who participated in the struggle for Goa’s independence in 1961 were no longer alive.

“Whoever is alive is more than 70 years of age. All the freedom fighters alive would be ceremoniously brought to those respective villages which defied the colonial rule and honoured,” Dias said.

“We want to visit those villages and places where rebellion took place and hold functions there. We aim to make locals aware about the importance of these places,” he said.