MARGAO
As Cuncolkars rejoiced over Chief Minister Pramod Sawant's announcement to commemorate July 15 as the National War Memorial Day to mark the 1583 Cuncolim revolt, they want to know the fate of the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education’s exercise to include the 1583 Cuncolim revolt in the school textbooks.
For, the Board had almost completed the exercise of preparing eight new chapters on Goa’s history, including the historic 1583 revolt, way back in 2018, and was scheduled to include the history books for the 2019-20 academic year.
Former Board chairman Ramkrishna Samant had announced in 2018 that the panel constituted by the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education had completed the compilation work of the eight new chapters in the year 2018, even saying they may form part of the history syllabus of Class IX for the 2019-20 academic year.
Ramkrishna Samant, who has since retired as Goa Board Chairman in early 2021, said: “Yes, it’s true that the committee comprising Prof Varsha Kamat and others had completed the task assigned to them on the eight new chapters for inclusion in the history books of Class IX. The historic Cuncolim revolt was among the topics which were to be included in the Class IX history textbooks”.
Samant added: “After the panel had submitted the exercise, the Board was supposed to vet the eight chapters through its various panels before all decks could be cleared for the inclusion of these chapters in the history books.”
He, however, pointed out that work could not be taken to the logical conclusion due to the intervening Covid pandemic.
Chieftains Memorial Committee chairman Oscar Martins said that successive governments and chief ministers had promised to include the Cuncolim revolt in the history books.
“Chief Minister Pramod Sawant certainly deserves praise for the government’s decision to commemorate the revolt on the National War Memorial Day. We only hope the Chief Minister fulfils the aspirations of every Cuncollkar by getting the revolt in the school history books,” Martins added.
Martyrs’ memorials in shambles
THE GOAN NETWORK
MARGAO
The government’s decision to commemorate the 1583 Cuncolim revolt at the National War Memorial Day has catapulted the historic event on the national stage.
Sadly, the Cuncolim Chieftains' Memorial, dedicated to the 16 Cuncolim Chieftains who were massacred by the Portuguese after the 1583 revolt as well as the Cuncolim Freedom Fighters Memorial, is craving attention for want of maintenance.
The two memorials, dedicated to the Chieftains and the freedom fighters have been awaiting a facelift over the years.
Take the case of the Cuncolim Chieftains' Memorial. Erected on July 15, 2000, at the initiative of Dr Verissimo Coutinho to commemorate the historic July 15, 1583, revolt, the Chieftains' Memorial had undergone renovation around a decade ago when the Cuncolim Municipal Council spent a portion of the Golden Jubilee fund to give the memorial a facelift. Sadly, the illumination of the memorial site is yet to see the light of the day for reasons best known to the powers that be.
Cuncolim Chieftains Memorial Committee chairman Oscar Martins lamented the memorial is indeed craving for a facelift.
"All is not well at the place. The place needs a facelift befitting the memorial and the significance it holds in the history of Cuncolim, Goa and the entire nation,” he said.
Cuncolim Municipal Chairperson Laxman Naik said the council will discuss the renovation of the Chieftains' memorial at the ensuing meeting, saying illumination of the place has not taken place to date.
The Cuncolim Freedom Fighters' memorial erected near the Cuncolim bus stand around a decade ago is also craving attention. It’s now a couple of years since the freedom fighters' memorial has been lying in shambles. The boards containing the names of the freedom fighters who had participated in the freedom struggle have crumbed for want of apathy and maintenance by the powers that be.
The Cuncolim Municipal Chairperson told The Goan that the council has now proposed to take up the renovation of the Freedom Fighters' memorial from the XIVth Finance Commission funds.
“The proposal will be sent for government approval before taking up the renovation work,” Naik added.
MLA urges CM to fix a date to include revolt in school books
MARGAO
Welcoming the government’s decision to commemorate July 15 as the National War Memorial Day to mark the first war of independence against colonial power in India, Cuncolim MLA Yuri Alemao has urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to fix a date to include the 1583 Cuncolim revolt in the school history books and also refurbish the Chieftains' Memorial at Cuncolim.
“I salute the brave Cuncolkars who stood against the Portuguese and who were treacherously massacred while attending peace talks. I feel proud to represent the historic Cuncolim constituency which launched the first non-cooperation movement against the Portuguese by denying to pay local taxes,” Yuri said.
He added: "Many freedom fighters from Cuncolim have sacrificed everything while fighting against the dictatorial Portuguese regime. It is our duty to remember their contributions. The Chief Minister should ensure that the Chieftains' memorial as well as other monuments in Cuncolim are refurbished on topmost priority. These places of historic importance need to be promoted as tourist destinations”.
