Guv: India’s children must learn of Goa Liberation

Panaji: Goa governor P S Sreedharan Pillai on Tuesday said that topics like the struggle for Goa’s Liberation should come into the mainstream history of India and be taught to all children across the country. Pillai said one needs to ask why Goa’s Liberation was delayed by 14 years after India’s Independence and whether the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru wanted to ‘sacrifice’ Goa seemingly for ‘world peace’.

“The PM at that time was not aware of military action. For world peace, could we sacrifice Goa?” Pillai asked, unveiling the poster of a documentary on Liberation called ‘December Dawn’.

The poster was released at Iffi on Tuesday. The film delves into the 40-hour operation to attain Goa’s Liberation.

“India was a flourishing country in the 12th century unlike China, which is why in two of Shakespeare’s plays we see characters dreaming of travelling to India,” Pillai said. “Interpreters of literature have interpreted those lands as India.”

Freedom fighters Sharada Tai and Rohidas Raghunath Naik Dessai were also present at the event.

The director of the documentary, Dinesh Bhonsle, said he wanted to portray the struggles from that period for today’s youth.