The Lohia chowk at Assolna.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar.
MARGAO
There’s no official program lined up at the Lohia Chowk in Assolna village, where Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had first visited his friend Dr Juliao Menezes before the great Nationalist gave a clarion call to Goans to arise and oust the colonial rulers from the state.
On the eve of Goa Revolution Day, however, Assolna Sarpanch Xavier Almeida got the Lohia Chowk cleaned-up which plays host to a memorial dedicated the freedom fighters who had valiantly participated in the liberation struggle.
But, the Lohia Chowk named after Dr Lohia and Dr Juliao Menezes has been craving for attention over the years. Since the time the Chowk received a face lift more than a decade ago, the historic place has been neglected and ignored for reasons best known to the powers that and the authorities.
The place is in need of face lift befitting a memorial. Tiles fitted at the memorial during the beautification project are falling down. The entire place is craving for a face lift, but in vain because of apathy and indifference from the authorities.
At a time when the government has taken up the beautification of the Lohia Maidan, Margao after much delay, there’s no proposal from the government to deck up the Lohia Chowk.
The Assolna Panchayat had in the past resolved to take up the renovation work, but the project could not take off because of funds. Sarpanch Xavier Almeida says the Panchayat had recently adopted a resolution to take up the Lohia chowk renovation work under the Grant In Aid (GIA) funds. “We had taken the resolution to spruce up the Lohia Chowk as the place was in need of a face lift. The resolution has been sent to the Salcete Block Development Office for approval and preparation of estimates”, Xavier said, adding that the Panchayat would do the follow up after the proposal receives the sanction from the BDO.
The Lohia Chowk had come into sharp focus in the past as the memorial area had virtually become a waste dump. Sadly, attempts made by the district authorities to maintain the sanctity of the memorial at the Lohia Chowk seemed to have not borne fruit till date for reasons best known to the powers that be.
The open space in the heart of Assolna village was named after Dr Lohia after the nationalist had visited the house of his friend, Dr Juliao Menezes to discuss the situation in Goa which was under the oppressive Portuguese regime. It was on the following day on June 18 that Dr Lohia gave a call to the people to Goa to throw out the colonial rulers, triggering a revolution against the Portuguese.
