MARGAO: The historic 1585 Cuncolim revolt, the Pinto revolt, besides 1967 Opinion Poll movement are amongst the seven important events in Goa’s pre and post Liberation period that has come under the scanner of experts and historians before they find a mention in the school history books.
Headed by Prof Harsha Kamat, the panel comprising of historians and experts has been assigned the job of digging into these historic events in Goa’s pre and post Liberation era. The panel had a first sitting and the exercise will gain momentum in the coming months as the government is toying with the idea of including these historic events in the school history curriculum in the next academic year.
Chairman of Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Ramkrishna Samant said that around eight historic events, both pre and post Liberation era has been shortlisted for a detailed study by the panel of experts headed by Prof Varsha Kamat. “We have not set any deadline or ultimatum to the panel to submit their report since it is a cumbersome exercise, which cannot be capped within a time frame’, the Goa Board Chairman told The Goan.
He, however, hastened to add that the Board is keen in introducing these historic events, if not all, at least some of them, in the history text books in the next academic year. “We plan to introduce at least a couple of these historic events in the next academic year”, he added.
The historic events shortlisted for study by the experts, including the History of Goa’s freedom struggle, the historic Cuncolim revolt against the Portuguese regime in 1585, which Cuncolkars term as the First War of Independence against colonial powers in India; the Pinto revolt of the 18th century; history of the liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli; the Operation Vijai which was launched by India to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial power; besides the History of Goa Legislative Assembly; the 1967 Opinion Poll movement and state’s post-liberation history culminating with Goa attaining statehood.
Incidentally, Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar, while presiding at the golden jubilee celebrations of Goa’s Opinion Poll in January last at the Ravindra bhavan, had promised to get the history of Opinion Poll in the school history books in the 2019-20 academic year.
On the other hand, the people of Cuncolim had been steadfast in their demand over the years for the inclusion of the historic 1585 Cuncolim revolt against the Portuguese in the school curriculum. Late Verissimo Coutinho, who was the brain behind the Cuncolim Chieftain’s memorial to pay homage to the village Chieftains who were slained by the Portuguese after inviting them for peace talks at the Assolna fort during the 1585 revolt. The demand for inclusion of Cuncolim revolt in the school text books is raised every year in Cuncolim during the commemoration of the 1585 revolt on July 15 by the Cuncolim Chieftains memorial committee. The demand for the inclusion of the Cuncolim revolt had its echo in Parliament when the issue was raised by outgoing Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik, a native of Cuncolim.
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SHORTLISTED EVENTS OF GOA
1) History of Goa’s freedom struggle2) The Cuncolim revolt of the natives 1585 AD
3) The Pinto revolt
4) Liberation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
5) Operation Vijai to liberate Goa
6)History of Goa Legislative Assembly
7)History of Opinion Poll - 1967
8)History of Goa attaining statehood
