Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa

top 10 freedom fighters of goa

As one browses through the pages of history, one can find that from time to time, people rose to fight against oppressors to stand up for their rights. The story about the Indian state of Goa is no different. Goa was a Portuguese colony since the 16th century. The native people of Goa, under Portuguese rule, faced social discrimination and inequalities that reinforced the need for them to fight against the Portuguese colonial rule. It is important to know and learn about the hardships undertaken by Goans along with Indian leaders to support the anti-colonial movement in Goa till India annexed it in 1961. 

The Top 10s Only team salutes the unsung heroes of India’s freedom struggle and is proud to share the details about the Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa.

Goa’s Bravehearts: Exploring The Tales Of The Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa

The native people of Goa faced great discrimination as the Portuguese government favoured their settlers. After all, this is what usually happens under colonial rule. Many uprisings opposing colonial rule since the 19th century were curbed through force. These continued till 1961, when Goa became part of India. Younger generations need to learn about the struggles and contributions that paved the way toward the end of colonial rule by many great people, such as:

1. T. B. Cunha

top 10 freedom fighters of goa t. b. cunha
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
T. B. Cunha

Tristao de Braganca Cunha, the great freedom fighter, was born in 1891 in a village in Goa. He was an electrical engineer who dedicated his life to fighting against colonial rule. He was part of the anti-imperialist league founded by Romain Rolland. During that time, he played a significant role in revealing details about the Indian Independence Movement and writing articles against colonial rule in French newspapers. Later, in 1926, he formed the Goan National Congress to awaken people against Portuguese colonial rule. 

He was instrumental in repatriating the Goans, who were subjected to forced labour by the British tea planters in Assam in 1940. For this and his activities against the Portuguese government, he was sentenced to imprisonment for eight years. This great personality who had started the Goa Liberation Movement passed away in 1958. For his great selfless contributions, he is still remembered and honoured as the ‘Father of Goan Nationalism.’

2. Mohan Ranade

top 10 freedom fighters of goa mohan ranade
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Mohan Ranade

Another eminent personality in the Goan Liberation Movement was Manohar Apte. Most people only recognise his adopted name, Mohan Ranade. He was from the Indian state of Maharastra, being born in a Maratha family in 1930. He illegally entered Goa, then a Portuguese colony, as a Marathi teacher in 1949. This attempt didn’t work out as he was deported back post, and he retried his entry to Goa in 1950 under the name Mohan Ranade, but in vain. Later, in 1953, he joined Azad Gomantak Dal and participated in the liberation of Silvassa. Once again, he re-entered Goa and started robbery to get weapons for his organization.

In 1955, Ranade was arrested for killing Custodio Fernandes, who enraged him by disrespecting the tricolour flag, and was sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment in Portuguese. Through government interference, Ranade was released in 1969 after Goa became part of independent India. This courageous freedom fighter, the author of books on the liberation movement, and a dedicated social worker was honoured with Padma Shri in 2001. 

3. Libia Lobo Sardesai

top 10 freedom fighters of goa libia lobo sardesai
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Libia Lobo Sardesai

Another prominent face in the Goa Liberation Movement was Libia Lobo Sardesai, born in Portuguese Goa in 1924. She pursued her education in Bombay and worked for AIR while completing her legal studies. The Goa liberation movement reached its zenith as many Satyagraha revolutionaries were killed by the Portuguese colonial rulers in 1955. During this time, Libia Lobo and Vaman Sardesai ran ‘Voice of Freedom,’ an underground radio station. This was intended to keep people in Goa motivated and to spread information related to the Goa independence movement. 

Her contributions and selflessness continue to be motivation for many. She served as the first governor of tourism in Goa. Later, she started practising law and became the first woman in Goa to do so. In 2025, at the grand age of 100, this fearless Goan freedom fighter was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award.

4. Vaman Sardesai

top 10 freedom fighters of goa vaman sardesai
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Vaman Sardesai

Vaman Sardesai was another freedom fighter who provided constant support for the Goa Liberation Movement. Sardesai, husband of freedom fighter Libia Lobo,  was born in a village in Goa in 1923. He was also a diplomat and a great poet. He was involved in spreading nationalist ideas even as a student and had been imprisoned in 1947 for distributing the literature ‘Jwala’. Later in 1955, he worked with broadcasting nationalist programs on the air, both in Portuguese and in Konkani. Then on, he continued to popularise nationalist programs and ideas among people through the radio station ‘Voice of Freedom’ till Goa was liberated from the clutches of colonial rule. 

Later, he joined Indian Administrative Services and served as an ambassador to Angola. He was one of the editors of Goa Today Magazine, and for all his contributions he was honoured with ‘Padma Shri’ in 1992.

5. Julião Menezes

top 10 freedom fighters of goa julião menezes
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Julião Menezes

Julião Menezes was a medical practitioner who dedicated his life to the freedom movement. He contributed actively towards liberating Goa by spreading nationalist views among Goans through his publications, Gomantak Praja Mandal in 1939 and Gomantak a Weekly in 1942. 

He played an active role in setting up the provisional committee of the Indian National Congress in Goa. He, along with the socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, planned the civil disobedience movement by addressing a huge gathering at Margão, spreading nationalist views on 18 June 1946. They were arrested for this, but this gathering accelerated the momentum of the fight against Portuguese colonial rule that ended in 1961. Honouring this brave act of Menezes and Lohia, the day 18 June is commemorated as Goan Republic Day.

6. Evágrio Jorge

top 10 freedom fighters of goa evágrio jorge
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Evágrio Jorge

Another Goan freedom fighter who envisioned ending colonial rule was Evágrio Jorge. Evágrio Jorge, born in 1925, was a native of Goa who opposed Portuguese rule and desired independence. He proposed the use of Khadi during his time. His constant participation in the freedom struggle resulted in his being sentenced to imprisonment twice. 

He was a journalist who worked for newspapers like Az Goem and O Herald. He even worked as a scriptwriter for AIR and later switched to the role of editor for Konkani newspaper Uzvaad. He participated in the 1946 civil disobedience movement at Margao. In 1972, the Indian government honoured him with the Tamrapatra Award for freedom fighters for his contributions to the freedom fight. In 1978, Evágrio Jorge and another prominent freedom fighter, Mark Fernandes, died when they were hit by a bus as they waited at a bus stop at Panaji.

7. Roque Santana Fernandes

top 10 freedom fighters of goa roque santana fernandes
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Roque Santana Fernandes

Roque Santana Joao Fernandes was a prominent political leader and freedom fighter from Goa. He, along with his father, Avelino Fernandes, escorted people to pilgrimages in Velliapura. He belonged to the Velliapura royal family. In his early years, he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s ideologies and started taking part in the Goa freedom fight by being part of the Azad Gomantak Dal. In 1950, he was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment for his underground pro-liberation activities. Later, he was again sent to 18 years of solitary confinement in Aguada Central Jail. He was released only on Goa Liberation Day.

After Goa was liberated, he focused on wiping out social inequalities. He was a great leader who was instrumental in bringing up democracy by fighting against nominating the Lt. Governor through Satyagraha. For his great efforts, he is revered as the “Father of Goan Democracy. ” He became a member of the Goa Legislative Assembly for 10 years, from 1967 to 1977.

8. Pundalik Gaitonde

top 10 freedom fighters of goa pundalik gaitonde
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Pundalik Gaitonde

Gaitonde was a surgeon, a medical researcher, an author, and an active participant in the Goa liberation movement hailing from Borim, Goa. He joined the freedom fight against colonial rule in the early 1940s by being part of the National Congress of Goa (NCG). He initiated the non-violence movement in June 1954. Later, he was imprisoned for objecting to the proposed toast at a Portuguese judge’s farewell party during the same year. NCG members did satyagraha and celebrated the “First Gaitonde Day.” Because of his dedicated work, he was elected as the president of NCG in 1960. 

He authored famous books like ‘Portuguese Pioneers in India – Spotlight in Medicine’ and ‘The Liberation of Goa: A Participant’s View of History.’ Later, he became the first Goan Member of Parliament in New Delhi. After retiring from politics, he moved to London, working as a consultant in a hospital. Such versatile personalities in the history of the Goa liberation movement deserve to be respected and remembered.

9. Berta de Menezes Bragança

top 10 freedom fighters of goa berta de menezes bragança
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Berta de Menezes Bragança

Berta de Menezes Bragança, daughter of the journalist and freedom fighter Luís de Menezes Bragança,  was born in Cuelim village in 1911. This bold woman freedom fighter and the niece of T.B. Cunha was part of the Goa committee of the Goa Congress Committee (GCC). She participated in every protest supporting T.B.Cunha and later joined the Goa Youth League (GYL). 

A teacher by profession, she represented the Afro-Asian Women’s Conference in Cairo and Moscow to attract the nation’s attention to Goa’s colonial rule. She joined the Satyagraha on Goa Revolution Day at Margao in 1946. She and her lawyer husband, António Furtado, started the fortnightly publication ‘Free Goa’.  Her representations in the Afro-Asian Bulletin and at the national conference led to the formation of the national campaign committee for liberating Goa. 

After Goa was liberated, Berta focused on issues faced by peasants, eventually becoming part of the communist party. Berta’s contributions towards liberating Goa must be ever remembered.

10. Gerald Pereira

top 10 freedom fighters of goa gerald pereira
Top 10 Freedom Fighters Of Goa
Gerald Pereira

Another prominent figure in the history of the Goa liberation movement was Gerald Pereria, born in Vasco da Gama in Goa. Gerald was drawn to the liberation movement at a young age after being inspired by his schoolteacher, Dattatraya Deshpande. Later, when his teacher got arrested, he had to escape to Bombay to continue his education. By then, he was inspired by Marxist philosophy and joined the Goan People’s Party. He participated in the Satyagraha in 1955 at Patradevi. He addressed public meetings that focused on issues like economic blockades and inspired women to join the independence movement.  

He was also a famous communist trade union leader whose name is etched in history for the first trade union strike at Mormugao port post-Goa liberation. He was one of the founders of the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). One may know more about history from his books like ‘An Outline of Pre-Portuguese History of Goa’ and ‘Goan Question Reconsidered’.

Unsung Heroes: Remembering The Sacrifices Made During The Goa Liberation Movement

Our country’s freedom has been achieved through bloodshed and selfless sacrifices made by the countless freedom fighters of the past. The history of Goa also reveals that these unsung heroes inspired and strengthened Goans to rise against Portuguese rule. Upcoming generations need to know about their past so as to become responsible and diligent in contributing to the well-being of society and the country.

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