MARGAO
Citizens from all walks of life bid farewell to Gandhian and freedom fighter, Gurunath Kelekar, as his mortal remains were consigned to the flames at the Margao crematorium on Wednesday noon.
Freedom fighters, politicians, Konkani activists and writers and people in general paid their respects to Gurunathbab as his mortal remains were brought to his house at Malbhat on Wednesday morning.
Besides his role in the Liberation movement, Gurunath was known widely for his initiative in forming the Movement for Amity towards Roads in Goa (MARG) Trust, which took up the role of educating and spreading awareness on traffic discipline across the state.
Credit goes to Gurunath for taking up cudgels for the Badels (local Goan women porters) in the commercial capital, prompting then Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to honour these women with a financial package.
Paying his respect to the departed freedom fighter, Leader of Opposition said Gurunath never believed that he had become old, giving him the strength to take up public causes. “The youth should emulate Gurunath’s works. We all know his contribution to the Liberation movement. If the traffic interceptors made his presence felt in Goa, it was because of Gurunath who insisted on me during my stint as Chief Minister to implement the system like Delhi to bring discipline on the roads,” he said.
Kamat said Gurunath had a dream that Goa’s accident rate be brought to zero percent.
Freedom fighter Naguesh Karmali said Gurunath was actively involved in the language movement since the beginning. “He was my very good friend. Till the day before he passed away, we had met in Panaji. May his soul rest in peace,” he said.
Goa Forward President and MLA Vijai Sardesai, NRI Commissioner Narendra Savaikar, Ravindra Bhavan Chairman Damu Naik, Nirmala Sawant, Adv Radharao Gracias, Goa Konkani Academy President Arun Sakhardande, Konkani Bhasha Mandal President Anwesha Singbal , Ex-KBM President Chetan Acharya, Marg President Prashant Naik, Vice President Auda Viegas, Managing Trustee Dilip Prabhu Desai, member secretary Anant Agni, Lokmat Editor Raju Nayak, writers Manikrao Gaunekar, Pundalik Naik, Datta Damodar Naik, Meena Kakodkar, Tomazinho Cardozo, Irene Cardozo, Dilip Borkar, Sandesh Prabhudesai, Prashanti Talpankar, Kamlakar Mhalashi, N Shivdas, Rajani Bhembre, Nutan Sakhardande, Martin Minin Fernandes, Fr Mouzinho Athaide, Belgaum Marg representatives Shekhar Patil and Krishna Signapurkar, Deputy S P (Traffic)
Prabodh Shirvoikar, Avinash Shirodkar and Parag Raikar of 18th June Kranti Din Samiti paid tributes to the departed freedom fighter.
