NT Reporter
Panaji
The Department of Archives has published a coffee table book—Martyrs of Goa— documenting the stories of 74 martyrs of Goa’s liberation struggle.
The book was released at the hands of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Hutatma Smruti Smarak at Patradevi.
Stating that remembering those who laid down their lives for Goa’s liberation was the duty of the present generation, Director of Archives Balaji Shenoy said, “The department published the book as our tribute to the martyrs.”
The book records
martyrs from Goa as well as different parts of India who were part of the Liberation movement.
Among those remembered is Raya Bala Mapari of Assonora, who died in police custody on February 18, 1955 and Amirchand Deviprasad Gupta, who entered Goa with Satyagrahis on August 15, 1955. He was beaten by Portuguese police and died from his injuries the same day.
Several martyrs lost their lives during the Satyagraha of August 1955. Tulshiram Balkrishna Hirve, who led 127 Satyagrahis towards Terekhol Fort, was shot when he resisted an attempt by Portuguese soldiers to take the flag from him. At Dudhsagar, a large number of unarmed Satyagrahis were killed in indiscriminate firing and the book records several of them.
The publication also records the stories of underground freedom fighters who carried out raids, sabotage missions and other activities. “Some were killed in encounters, while others died after torture in police custody,” Archives Coordinator Saili Bhosle said.
The book was edited and compiled by Balaji Shenoy, she said.
