Goa-Maharastra Govts pay state honour to ‘Lion of Goa’ Mohan Ranade

गोंयचो म्हान पूत मोहन रानडेक गोंय आनी महाराष्ट्राची निमणी सलामी

25 Jun 2019 07:53 PM

Goa lost a great freedom fighter on Tuesday. Mohan Ranade expired in Pune hospital after a prolonged illness.



He was 89. He was cremated in Pune with state honour, jointly by Goa and Maharashtra governments.


He represents an era of armed struggle against Portuguese rule during the Goa Liberation struggle.


Born in Sangli in 1930, his actual name was Manohar Vishnu Apte.


Disguised as a teacher and assuming name as Mohan Ranade, he entered Goa in 1950 and set up his base in Savoi Verem.


He believed in armed revolt to chase out the Portuguese and attacked many police stations to procure arms.


He was shot at and arrested in seriously wounded condition when he attacked Betim police station on 29th December 1956.


He was then sentenced to 26 years jail and deported to Portugal.


The Portuguese government did not release him for 14 years, even after Goa was liberated in 1961.


With nationwide protests to release him, Pope Paul VI intervened to get him released at the request of then Tamil Nadu chief minister Annadurai.


He was accorded a grand welcome in Goa when he was finally released on 25th January 1969.


Ranade later settled in Pune and ran a voluntary organisation to provide educational support to tribal, nomadic and backward class students.


He has two books to his credit, ‘Struggle Unfinished’ in English and ‘Satiche Vaann’ in Marathi.


Goa government’s Art & Culture Department has produced a docu-drama on him, called Zuzari, directed by Mandar Talaulikar.


He was cremated in Pune with state honour, jointly by Goa and Maharashtra governments.


Goa minister Milind Naik attended the funeral on behalf of Goa government.

Several leaders from Goa and Maharashtra tweeted soon after the news of his sad demise, including Vinod Tawade and Ravindra Chavan of Maharashtra as well as many Goa leaders including chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant and ex-CM Digambar Kamat.


Union minister Shripad Naik and Deputy CM Vijai Sardesai paid video tributes to Ranade.


We also spoke to Ranade’s colleague in liberation struggle Prabhakar Sinari as well as director of a docu-drama Mandar Talaulikar.



Reporter: Bureau | Desk: Bureau | Editing:



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