Nicolau Menezes | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Nicolau Menezes | |
| Born | Nicolau Joao Menezes |
| Occupation | Teacher |
| Known for | Voice of Freedom |
| Movement | Goa Liberation Movement |
| Spouse | Alda |
| Relatives | Armando Menezes (brother) |
Nicolau Menezes was an Indian independence activist and teacher from Goa. Along with Vaman Sardesai and Libia Lobo, he ran an underground radio station, Voice of Freedom, that transmitted across Portuguese Goa from 1955 to 1961, advocating the cause of the Goan independence movement.
Nicolau Joao Menezes [1] was from Divar and was the brother of Armando Menezes. Both brothers were teachers. [2] He was married to Alda. [1]
Menezes lived in Bombay in hiding during the 1950s. [3] In June 1954, the Goa Liberation Council was formed in Bombay, with Nicolau Menezes and his brother Armando Menezes as members. They published a fortnightly journal, Goan Tribune, with the intention of highlighting the atrocities of the Portuguese in Goa. This was then distributed by them to political leaders from both India and of western countries. [2]
In June 1957, Menezes was part of a delegation of 11 Goans chosen for consultation by then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Others included his brother Armando Menezes, along with Luis Gracias, J. N. Heredia, Peter Alvares, Evágrio Jorge, Vishwanath Lawande, Rama Hegde, Gerald Pereira, Pundalik Gaitonde and Purushottam Kakodkar. [2] [4]
Menezes was a member of the T. B. Cunha Memorial Committee. [2]
In 1954–55, the Portuguese attacked and killed several Satyagrahis who had peacefully entered the Goan borders, demanding the end of colonial rule in Goa. Following this, India closed its borders with Goa, imposing an economic blockade, thus reducing free movement and trade. Nicolau Menezes, along with his wife Alda, came together with Libia Lobo and Vaman Sardesai to form a team. Using two wireless radio sets, which were confiscated the Portuguese, were converted into a radio transmitter. This became the Voice of Freedom radio station, through which they would transmit news and important information to Goans. [5] [3]
They initially lived in the jungles of Amboli Ghat, approx. 100 km (62 mi) from Goa, transmitting an hour-long programme. Living in these conditions was stressful, and Menezes and his wife eventually left. Sardesai and Lobo continued running the station until the liberation of Goa on 19 December 1961. [3] [6]
Dr. Pundalik Dattatreya Gaitonde was a surgeon from Goa and an active participant in the Goa liberation movement. Along with Antonio Colaco, Gaitonde was nominated by the President of India to the 3rd Lok Sabha in 1962 following the incorporation of Goa, Daman and Diu into India on 19 December 1961.
Purushottam Kesava Kakodkar was a prominent politician and social worker from Goa. He served as a Member of Parliament in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
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.
Casimiro Emérito Rosa Teles Jordão Monteiro, also known as Agente Monteiro, was a Portuguese covert operations military intelligence officer and law enforcement officer during the Estado Novo regime. He carried out state-sanctioned bombings and assassinations in Portugal, Mozambique and Goa. His actions were mostly focused against members of independence movements that existed in the Portuguese colonial empire.
Ananta Rau Sar Dessai (1910-?) was a Goan short-story writer, radio playwright and poet. He was one of a handful of Goan Hindus to have used Portuguese as his literary language, though he wrote also in Marathi. He was perhaps the only dedicated fictionist in Portuguese to have operated in Goa throughout the Estado Novo. 'His idiosyncratic language, raw provocative themes, and the great ambiguity with which he treats his subjects, make Sar Dessai one of the more interesting Goan writers to have worked in Portuguese'.
Armando Menezes (1902–1983) was an Indian civil servant, writer, academic and poet who wrote in English.
Teresa Albuquerque was an Indian historian who specialised in the Goan diaspora and the colonial history of Bombay.
Julião Menezes, also known as Dr. Juliao Menezes, was an Indian freedom fighter, medical practitioner, author, and nationalist leader. He played a prominent role in the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese rule and was active in the Goa liberation movement. Menezes established the publication Gomantak Praja Mandal, to promote nationalism among Goans. He was a member of the provisional committee of the Indian National Congress in Portuguese Goa and was present at its session in 1948. He played an active role during its formation. He, along with socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, planned the civil disobedience movement against Salazar's regime in Goa on 18 June 1946, a day that is now celebrated as Goa Revolution Day.
Voice of Freedom was an underground radio station that transmitted across Portuguese Goa from 1955 to 1961, advocating the cause of the Goan independence movement. The station broadcast a variety of programming in English, Konkani, and in Portuguese, promoting Goan independence from Portuguese rule. Some of the broadcasters on the station included activists Nicolau Menezes, Libia Lobo and Vaman Sardesai.
Libia "Libby" Lobo Sardesai is an Indian independence activist from Goa. Along with Vaman Sardesai, whom she later married, she ran an underground radio station, Voice of Freedom, that transmitted across Portuguese Goa from 1955 to 1961, advocating the cause of the Goan independence movement. Following the Liberation of Goa, she was the first Director of Tourism of Goa, Daman and Diu.
Vaman Balkrishna Naique Prataprao Sardesai was an Indian poet, freedom fighter and diplomat from Goa. Along with Libia Lobo Sardesai, whom he later married, he ran an underground radio station, Voice of Freedom, that transmitted across Portuguese Goa from 1955 to 1961, advocating the cause of the Goan independence movement. Following the Liberation of Goa, he became the second editor of Goa Today magazine, and went on to become an IAS officer, serving as the Indian Ambassador to Angola. In 1992, he was awarded the Padma Shri. He has also been the co-convenor of INTACH.
Goa Revolution Day is the day in June 1946, also referred to as Kranti Din, which is celebrated on 18 June every year by the Government of Goa, in commemoration of the events of 18 June 1946 that triggered the Goa liberation movement. This campaign was led by Indian socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and the Goan anti-colonial campaigner Julião Menezes.
Evágrio Jorge was an Indian freedom fighter and journalist.
Gerald Pereira was an Indian freedom fighter, author, lawyer and trade unionist from Goa. Active in the Goa liberation movement, he founded the first trade union in Goa. He is the author of the book, An Outline of Pre-Portuguese History of Goa.
George Vaz was an Indian freedom fighter, trade unionist and politician.
Berta de Menezes Bragança, alternatively spelled as Berta de Menezes Braganza and Bertha Menezes Braganza, was an Indian freedom fighter, teacher, writer and journalist.
Vishwanath Lawande was an Indian freedom fighter and lawyer. He was fondly referred to as Kaka.
Rama Hegde was an Indian freedom fighter and physician from Goa, India.
James Nathaniel Heredia, known popularly as J. N. Heredia, was an Indian honorary counsel and advocate of the end of Portuguese rule in Goa and its smaller territories. A road in Mumbai, J. N. Heredia Marg, is named after him. In 1965, he was honoured as the Sheriff of Bombay.