The struggle for Independence was not over with the quitting of the British. The Portuguese held sway over Goa. The 1st to unfurl the tricolour over the Panaji secretariat in 1955 was a swayamsevak working as a teacher in Goa. He remained in Lisbon jail for 17 years – well after Goa was liberated in 1961.
In 1955, swayamsevaks took a leading part in the All-Party national struggle for its liberation. Prominent workers of Sangh & Jana Sangh lead several batches of Satyagrahis and a number of them suffered bullet wounds and inhuman torture in Portuguese jails. Sri JagannathRao Joshi, a swayamsevak and leader of JanaSangh was one of those who underwent such bones-breaking trauma.
Rajabhau Mahankal of Ujjain was among the prominent swayamsevaks who lead a batch from Madhya Bharat. Before Rajabhau proceeded into Goa border, the first three columns of Satyagrahis were fired upon. They fell down wounded.When the daring Sahodara Devi of Saugar in the 3rd row fell wounded, Rajabhau took the tricolour from her hands and stepped forward with the roar of “Bhaarat Maata ki Jai”. Rajabhau fell with one of eyes pierced right through with a bullet. In those few seconds, before he became unconscious, he commanded others to take care of the flag and of the other wounded soldiers and within a few minutes he joined the rank of balidaanis who had covered themselves with immortal glory in the cause of the freedom of motherland.
#GoaLiberationDay
Source : RSS – A Vision In Action
