Frente Popular (Goa)

Last updated

The Frente Popular Party (also named Janta Agadhi) [1] is a former political party of Goa, India. It participated in the 1963 Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly election without any success. [2]

Contents

Background

Frente Popular was founded by Communists. [3] Soon after the Liberation of Goa, they had formed the Shetkari Paksh (Farmers' Party) after working with the Goan farmers. They had also been actively organising people into unions in the mining belt of Goa and in the port town of Vasco da Gama. However, they did not want to contest with their Communist symbols to not attract the attention of the Goan Catholic Church, who considered the Communists as a threat. [4]

Its stated ideals were secularism, democracy and socialism. It attacked the prohibition policy promoted by the Congress and criticized the administration of Goa for nepotism and corruption.[ citation needed ] They also highlighted issues that affected the Goan working class, along with a clear agenda of "Land to the Tiller". [4]

Frente Popular was responsible for organizing mass rallies which were addressed by prominent national communist leaders such as S. A. Dange. It was headed by Bertha Menezes Braganza, a journalist from Bombay. [2]

Views on Goa's statehood

There were persistent demands to merge the Union Territory of Goa into the newly created linguistic state of Maharashtra. The communists in India were staunch supporters of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, which demanded an enlarged linguistic state of Maharashtra, which included Goa. However, the Frente Popular campaigned against a merger and supported full statehood for Goa. [5]

Political performance

Parties contesting in the 1963 Assembly Elections in Goa Parties contesting in the 1963 Assembly Elections in Goa.jpg
Parties contesting in the 1963 Assembly Elections in Goa

In the 1963 Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly election, there were eight political parties ; however, only four got recognition from the Election Commission of India, including the Frente Popular. The symbol allocated to the Frente Popular was the elephant. [6]

Frente Popular fielded only eight candidates from the 30 available constituencies. It contested mainly in areas with high concentrations of labourers, fielding candidates from the trade unions. [2] These eight candidates were: [4]

The party did not win any seats, polling just 4,548 votes (1.82% of polled votes). [7] The only two candidates who won a decent vote share were Pereira in Mormugao (19%) and Desai in Pernem (21%). [4] The Roman Catholic Church's campaign for the United Goans Party has been cited as a major factor contributing to the party's poor showing. [8] The day of polling was 9 December 1963, a Monday, and the Sunday Mass on the previous day influenced the voters. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party</span> Political party in India

Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party is a political party in India. It was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese rule in Goa in 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shashikala Kakodkar</span> Indian politician (1935–2016)

Shashikala Kakodkar, popularly known as Tai; lit. 'elder sister'), was a prominent leader of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). She served as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu on two occasions, and also was the President of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. She is the first and woman to serve as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu.

This is a timeline of Goan history. It overlaps with the histories of other regions in South Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and colonial powers that influenced the region, including Portugal.

Dayanand Balkrishna Bandodkar, popularly known as Bhausaheb Bandodkar, was the first Chief Minister of Goa, in the territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. Born in Pernem to a Marathi family who had immigrated from Tuljapur, he became a wealthy mine owner following the Annexation of Goa. He sought to merge the territory with the state of Maharashtra. He swept the polls in 1963, 1967 and in 1972 while representing the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and remained in power until his death in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1967 Goa status referendum</span> 1967 referendum in Goa and Damaon to decide the future of Goa

The 1967 Goa status referendum popularly known as the Goa Opinion Poll was a referendum held in newly annexed union territory of Goa and Damaon in India, on 16 January 1967, to deal with the Konkani language agitation and to decide the future of Goa.

The United Goans Party is a political party in state of Goa. It was formed in 1963 in the former union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, with Jack de Sequeira as its party leader, when multiple regional parties merged during the Konkani language agitation.

The Goa liberation movement was a movement which fought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa, Portuguese India. The movement built on the small scale revolts and uprisings of the 19th century, and grew powerful during the period 1940–1961. The movement was conducted both inside and outside Goa, and was characterised by a range of tactics including nonviolent demonstrations, revolutionary methods and diplomatic efforts. However, Portuguese control of its Indian colonies ended only when India invaded and annexed Goa in 1961, causing a mixture of worldwide acclaim and condemnation, and incorporated the territories into India.

The Konkani language agitations were a series of protests in India, concerning the uncertain future of the Konkani language. They were held by Goans in the former territory of Goa, Damaon & Diu; then under the administration of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP). The protests involved citizen journalism, student activism & political demonstrations. The civil unrest ceased when premier official status for Konkani in the Devnagari script was granted. Mahratti was declared an associate official language of Goa.

Narayan Srinivasa Fugro was an Indian politician. He served as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu between February 24, 1972, and January 20, 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Goa</span> Overview of and topical guide to Goa

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Goa:

The first elections to the Goa, Daman & Diu Legislative Assembly were held in December 1963, to elect members of the 30 constituencies, in the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, India.

Dhulo Chimlo Kuttikar is an Indian politician who is a former member of the Goa Legislative Assembly representing the Quepem Assembly constituency from 1972 to 1977. He was a member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ganba Desai</span> Indian politician

Ganba Bhagdu Desai was an Indian politician. He was a former member of the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly, representing the Canacona Assembly constituency from 1963 to 1967 and 1972 to 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urminda Mascarenhas</span> Indian politician and educator (1926–2010)

Urminda Mascarenhas e Lima Leitao was an Indian politician, educator and businesswoman. She was a former member of the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly, representing the Mormugao Assembly constituency from 1963 to 1967. Mascarenhas was the first woman MLA to be elected in the 1963 Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly election, also the first and only woman legislator from the Mormugao Assembly constituency. She was known for her diligent attitude and radical speeches in the state legislative assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teotonio Pereira</span> Indian politician, freedom fighter and activist (1930–2022)

Teotonio Francisco Paulo Pereira was an Indian politician, social activist, freedom fighter, musician, orator and businessman who was a former member of the Goa Legislative Assembly, representing the St. Andre Assembly constituency from 1963 to 1977 and 1980 to 1984.

Vijay Maruti Kamulkar was an Indian politician. He was a former member of the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly, representing the Mandrem Assembly constituency from 1963 to 1967. Kamulkar was affiliated with the Shiv Sena.

Kashinath Anant Shetgaonkar was an Indian politician who served as a member of the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly, representing the Pernem Assembly constituency from 1963 to 1967. He was a member of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald Pereira</span> Indian trade unionist (1929–1976)

Gerald Pereira was an Indian freedom fighter, author, lawyer and trade unionist from Goa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Vaz</span> Indian politician (1919–1999)

George Vaz was an Indian freedom fighter, trade unionist and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berta de Menezes Bragança</span> Indian journalist (1911–1993)

Berta de Menezes Bragança, alternatively spelled as Berta de Menezes Braganza and Bertha Menezes Braganza, was an Indian freedom fighter, teacher, writer and journalist.

References

  1. ↑ Grover, Verinder; Arora, Ranjana (1996). Encyclopaedia of India and Her States: Union Territories, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Goa, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. Deep & Deep. ISBN   978-81-7100-730-1.
  2. 1 2 3 Saksena, R. N. (1974). Goa: Into the Mainstream. Abhinav Publications. ISBN   978-0-8426-0604-2.
  3. ↑ Asian survey, Volume 4. University of California, Berkeley. Institute of International Studies. 1964.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Prabhudesai, Sandesh (April 2023). Ajeeb Goa's Gajab Politics. Qurate Books Private Limited. p. 253. ISBN   978-93-94600-690.
  5. ↑ Socialist affairs, Volume 14. Socialist International. 1964.
  6. ↑ The Maharashtra Government Gazette. Government of Maharashtra (India). 1963.
  7. ↑ Esteves, Sarto (1966). Goa and its future.
  8. ↑ Seminar, Issues 65-76. 1965.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.