MARGAO
In a rare show of unity, political leaders cutting across party lines in Goa have come together to demand national and state bravery award for Benaulim-based traditional fisherman Francisco “Pele” Fernandes, whose courageous act saved 27 fishermen from certain death off Mobor in late September.
United appeal have been made to the President of India and Chief Minister Pramod Sawant by Union Minister Shripad Naik besides Minister Atanasio Monserrate, Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, MLAs Michael Lobo, Vijai Sardesai, Cruz Silva, Viresh Borkar and Antonio Vas seeking a national bravery award and a state bravery/civilian award for Francisco Fernandes.
Their letters are supported by the Village Panchayat of Cavelossim, the Village Panchayat of Benaulim, Pele’s home village, besides traditional fishing organisation Niz Ramponkarancho Ekvott (GRE), reflecting the collective voice of Goa’s coastal and fishing communities.
The Mobor sea rescue operation had taken place on the night of September 27 after a fishing trawler ran aground and later capsized near the mouth of the River Sal off Mobor, trapping 27 fishermen in the rough sea amid cyclone-like conditions.
Despite the efforts of coastal police and lifeguards, the lack of a proper rescue boat and safety equipment on the vessel made the operation extremely dangerous and difficult. Francisco “Pele” Fernandes, a traditional fisherman from Benaulim, rushed to Mobor with his personal jetski in the early hours, waited for first light due to hostile sea conditions, and then repeatedly rode through powerful waves to bring the stranded fishermen to safety, asking them to wear life jackets and jump one by one into the water so he could ferry them ashore.
All 27 fishermen survived, and Pele has since been hailed across Goa and by Goans abroad as the “guardian of the sea” and protector of the fishing community.
They have also expressed the hope that Pele’s story will inspire young Goans to act with similar courage and solidarity in times of crisis, and that his example will remind the country that heroes are often found among ordinary working people who choose to put others’ lives before their own.
