Well, yes Telo was charged with bigamy. For that he got what 10 to 12 years in
jail? Historical data has shown how the Portuguese worked against the
nationalists.
I am not sure but I think Telo, on his return, was bypassed for the
supervisor's post in All-India Radio, Delhi and the post given it to Laxmanrao
Sardesai, a Saraswat Brahmin, also a freedom fighter. Did not Sardesai later
become editor of Goa Today and then Ambassador to Angola?
We have seen on goanet how the little info on Agente Monteiro brought an
avalanche of information, including personal views from Monteiro's son. I think
Fred wrote a wrote on it for IANS or Goa Today.
Similarly, journalists in Goa could do some more digging into Telo's life and
also "verify" what I have written. Some Goa-based and some Portugal-based
historians are members of goanet and they could shed more light.
I myself wanted to do my Ph. D in Goa's freedom struggle through long-distance
learning from Goa University but was denied because of residential
qualification as I lived in Canada. I had approached Teotonio de Souza to be my
guide, if I remember correctly. I lost the opportunity to do my doctorate when
the late Dr. George Mark Moraes, the doyen of Goan historians, offered to be my
guide. I foolishly went to join a law college after my post-graduation.
I have gone through tmany books on Goa's freedom struggle and also the Who's
Who (in two volumes) by my friend and ex-college Prakash Shirodkar, the former
director of Goa's archives (forget the name of the institution).
One other historian also offered to be my guide.
I write this because Goa's freedom struggle has been one of my favourite
subjects. I have discussed this subject with many freedom fighters and also
with Prof. Rubinoff, the Toronto academic who wrote India's Use of Force in Goa
for his doctorate.
As I said earlier, I do not have my books with me in Dubai. So it become a big
problem. I just wrote a piece on Bombay Goans and I had to jog my memory. I
could not remember lot of names and incidents and could remember some very
faintly.
Another example is the postings on Goan women hockey internationals. I could
not remember many names and thanks to some goanetters who provided
clarifications and verifications. Just is the nature of goanet and it should
remain that way.
However, I am surprised that JC and PC were ticked off by my writing on June
18. I have spoken from the heart that some those who I mentioned may
have been bit disappointed with the way things turned out after liberation.
That's the price one pays. Freedom has its own price.
Coming to another relevant topice that of freedom fighters being given monthly
"pension" or monetary rewards or compensation, I do not find anything wrong
with it. Many freedom fighters fell on bad days. They suffered a lot. It is for
the freedom fighters to decline such offers by saying that they did it for the
country and with their hearts.
I don't think any of the freedom fighters took part in the freedom movement
with an eye to getting financial rewards. I doubt the thought ever came to
their minds. Unfortunately, some freedom fighters got big rewards through
government posts, etc, while the majority were found fighting for bread (not
butter) each day.
In my reading and also meeting with freedom fighters, I have known that the
credentials of some of the FF were not wanting. I know that some were just
"freedom shouters" and some were just "arsonists." Maybe the children of the FF
also joined their parents by just shouting slogans against the Portuguese and
now that they have grown up they lay claim to being FF.
JoeGoaUK's mock post makes one take notice that everything is not alright in
the government's approach to granting compensation to those who suddenly claim
to be freedom fighters. I think in the past the FF society or group has
objected to certain persons being called FF.
I just read a bit of Flaviano Dias's (my ex-colleague at Free Press Journal)
piece on June 18 and I agree that Dr. Juliao Menezes was largely forgotten for
his role.
It is the misfortune of history that Ram Monohar Lohia had a larger image and
that Dr. Menezes's own persona and role got overshadowed in the swell of things
of the time. I wish if someone could post me or post it to goanet Flaviano's
piece. In a decade or less, many of the FF would be dead and gone.
Whatever one may say, June 18 will remain symbolic in more sense than one.
It would remain more glorious that the actual Liberation Day. The freedom
struggle had its own share of factional groups and most of its history is now
written. Yet, more needs to be written and I am not sure if any more thesis are
in the works on this subject.
Eugene
