CANACONA
Shivanand alias Nanda Gaitonde (95), a freedom fighter from Canacona, passed away in Pune on Thursday night after a brief illness.
Gaitonde, who had been involved in the Satyagraha and Portuguese resistance movement, had undergone nearly five years of rigorous imprisonment after he was arrested in 1954. He had been sentenced to eight years of rigorous imprisonment but was released in May 1959.
The son of Dattatraya Pundalik Sinai Gaitonde, Shivanand was born at Palolem on February 10, 1927, and was highly educated with a BSc Dip NFC, MIBF, MBIM National Foundry College in England.
He was the younger brother of late Dr Pundalik Gaitonde, another freedom fighter in whose name the Gaitonde mini-sports complex has been named opposite the Canacona Deputy Collector's office.
Shivanand Gaitonde was a high school teacher at Shri Mallikarjun Vidhyalaya Char-Rasta before he migrated to Pune. After his brother had passed away in 1992, Shivanand Gaitonde would regularly travel to Goa and visit his native place to observe the Gaitonde Diwas (Gaitonde Day) every year on February 17, sources said.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Margao MLA Digamber Kamat and State BJP President Sadanand Shet Tanavade were among the leaders who condoled the demise of Shivanand Gaitonde.
