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Pandurang Purushottam Shirodkar
Indian freedom fighter and politician (1916–2000) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Pandurang Purushottam Shirodkar (12 October 1916 – 3 September 2000)[1] was an Indian freedom fighter, author and the first Speaker of the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly.[2] Born in Mapusa, Goa, he played a significant role in the liberation of Goa from Portuguese rule, enduring long periods of imprisonment and exile in Africa and Portugal. He was also a noted lawyer and journalist who worked for publications such as the Navshakti.
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Early life and education
Shirodkar was born on 12 October 1916 in Mapusa, Portuguese India, to Dwarkibai and Purushottam Kamu Shirodkar.[3] He received his primary education in the Marathi medium. He later attended a lyceum where he completed his seventh year of Portuguese studies before obtaining a diploma in Portuguese law. Following his education, he established himself as a prominent lawyer.[4]
Independence activism and career
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Shirodkar began participating in the Goan liberation movement in 1939. Since that year, he would openly hoist the Indian tricolour at Old Goa every 26 January.[3] He was a founding member and subsequently the President of the National Congress (Goa) Executive Committee. During this period, he maintained contact with Indian independence activists such as Senapati Bapat in Maharashtra, reportedly supplying him with weaponry.[4] In the 1940s, he was involved in procuring arms and ammunition from Portuguese storehouses for nationalists. After a failed raid on supplies stored at Tambdi Mati, which resulted in the arrest of some associates, Shirodkar moved to Pune.[3]
He served as the deputy editor of the newspaper Sakal in Pune before moving to Mumbai, where he worked as a news editor for the daily Navshakti. During his time in Mumbai, he wrote research articles focusing on Goan history and liberation. He also served as the Marathi-Portuguese co-editor of the periodical Aavese and was active on the executive committee of the Goa Youth League. Furthermore, he held the position of Secretary for both the Congress Socialist Party and the Samyukta Maharashtra Parishad (United Maharashtra Council).[4]
To dedicate himself fully to the independence movement, Shirodkar resigned from his journalistic career and resumed activities with the National Congress (Goa). The Portuguese authorities arrested him on 25 September 1946, sentencing him to four months in Aguada Central Jail. During this incarceration, he undertook a 14-day hunger strike to demand treatment as a satyagrahi. Upon his release, he organized a session of the Goan Congress at Karamle (Karambolim) on 15 May 1947, where the organization adopted a constitution and passed resolutions demanding full independence and integration with India.[4]
Exile in Africa
Following his re-arrest on 16 December 1947, Shirodkar was tried by a Regional Military Court and sentenced to 15 years in exile along with associates including Vinayak Mayenkar, Guilherme de Souza Ticlo, and Nilkanth Karapurkar. He was deported to Angola, where he was detained at Fort Roçadas.[3] He later spent time in Sá da Bandeira (now Lubango) between 1 June 1952 and 12 May 1956. Although eventually released from strict confinement, he was forced to remain in exile within Angola. To sustain himself, he conducted private tuition classes and worked as a journalist.[3]
Due to his participation in local political movements and an uprising for independence in Angola, he was imprisoned again. The Portuguese authorities termed him a "mentor" of the nationalist movement in Angola and arrested him on 6 February 1961. He was held in solitary confinement at the São Paulo fortress for five months.[3] During his exile, he also served as a co-editor for the Jornal de Angola in Luanda.[4]
Despite his imprisonment, Shirodkar held a deep affection for the country, stating in his autobiography, "The people of Angola are so wonderful. If there is such a thing as rebirth, I would want to be reborn in Angola."[3]
After nearly 15 years of imprisonment and exile, Shirodkar was sent to Lisbon. He eventually returned to India via Karachi, arriving in May 1962, six months after the Annexation of Goa.[4][3]
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Political career in liberated Goa
In 1963, Shirodkar became the vice-president of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).[4][5] He successfully contested the 1964 general elections from the Shivole constituency.[4] Following his election, he was chosen unopposed as the first Speaker of the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly.[2]
Later in his career, he left the MGP to join the Lok Dal, serving as its president, and subsequently became the Vice-President of the Janata Party in Goa.[4]
Literary works
Shirodkar was a strong advocate for the Marathi language and served as the Chairman of the Marathi State Language Establishment Committee.[4] He was also an honorary fellow of the Gomantak Marathi Academy. While incarcerated in Angola, he translated Bal Gangadhar Tilak's Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Rahasya into the Portuguese language.[4] The manuscript remained unpublished for decades until his four children, including historian P. P. Shirodkar, funded its publication. It was released by the Xavier Centre of Historical Research in October 2016 to mark his birth centenary.[3]
His literary works include books in Marathi, Konkani, English, and Portuguese. Notable works include:
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Legacy
In recognition of his contributions to the freedom struggle, the Government of India awarded him the Tamra Patra in 1973. The Government of Goa honored him on 18 June (Goa Revolution Day).[4] Additionally, he was conferred the title of 'Rashtraveer' at the 13th session of the All India Freedom Fighters Committee in Sarnath.[4]
References
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