Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Aug 27: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Hutatma Smruti Smarak at Patradevi, paying tribute to the freedom fighters who fought against Portuguese rule and made the supreme sacrifice during Goa’s Liberation struggle.

Speaking at the inauguration, Singh said his visits to Goa had always been satisfying, but he had never imagined that he would get an opportunity to inaugurate a memorial dedicated to those who sacrificed their lives for the state’s liberation.

“I have come here for public meetings during elections and on many other occasions, but I never thought I would get an opportunity to inaugurate such a memorial,” Singh said.

The Defence Minister urged Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to undertake a comprehensive research exercise to identify all those who laid down their lives during the struggle for Goa’s Liberation.

Singh stressed that no martyr’s name should be left out and called upon the state government to ensure that the names of all those who shed their blood for Goa’s freedom are permanently inscribed in stone.

He said remembering the sacrifices of the freedom fighters was essential to preserving and honouring the history and legacy of Goa’s Liberation.