THE GOAN NETWORK
MAPUSA
Aldona MLA and Goa Congress working president Carlos Ferreira appealed to the people to remain united and help the Congress defeat "evil forces" to bring the party back to power in Goa.
Speaking at his 60th birthday celebrations at Bastora, Ferreira thanked the people of Aldona for electing him as their representative and said their support had enabled him to place Corjuem on the national and international map.
"I want to thank the people of Aldona for electing me as your MLA. It is because of your faith that Corjuem has gained recognition beyond Goa. I seek your continued support to remain united so that together we can defeat the evil forces and bring the Congress government back to power," he said.
Reflecting on his childhood, Ferreira recalled the simple village life in Corjuem without electricity, piped water or telephones, saying those experiences shaped his values.
He also said contesting elections had been a difficult decision as he had never been directly involved in politics despite working closely with politicians as a lawyer.
"As a lawyer I could help only those who approached me. As a politician I can reach out to more people and serve humanity beyond territorial boundaries," he said, adding that he remained committed to public service despite turning 60.
AICC Goa in-charge Manikrao Thakare, who attended the function, described Ferreira as a strong leader committed to social service and said the Congress leadership, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, conveyed their best wishes.
Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar praised Ferreira for raising issues concerning Goans in the Assembly and highlighted his legal career, noting that he was among the youngest to have served as Advocate General of Goa.
Several political leaders, including Deputy Speaker and Mapusa MLA Joshua D'Souza, former minister and Priol MLA Govind Gaude, former Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar, former Speaker Tomazinho Cardozo, former legislators, Congress functionaries, panch members and supporters attended the celebrations.
