- Source: Gerald Pereira
Gerald Pereira (20 September 1929 – 4 March 1976) was an Indian freedom fighter, author, lawyer and trade unionist from Goa. Active in the Goa liberation movement, he founded the first trade union in Goa. He is the author of the book, An Outline of Pre-Portuguese History of Goa.
Early life
Gerald Antonio Eustaqio de Monte Pereira was born on 20 September 1929 in Vasco da Gama, Goa to the Catholic family of Xavier Pereira, who worked for a technical firm in Bombay. While studying at the St Joseph's Institute in Vasco, he began participating in the freedom struggle after being influenced by his school teacher, Dattatraya Deshpande, who was a freedom fighter. Deshpande was arrested after he hoisted the Indian flag and distributed nationalist pamphlets in Vasco. Pereira escaped to Bombay, leaving his education incomplete. He then completed his Senior Cambridge schooling in Bombay.
Goa liberation movement
While in Bombay, Pereira completed his Master of Arts at St. Xavier's College, and an LLB from Siddharth College of Law. He soon took an interest in Marxist philosophy. In the early 1950s, he joined the Goan Peoples Party (GPP), which was Communist. On 13 December 1952, while he was still a student, he participated actively in a demonstration that displayed black flags to the then Portuguese Governor-General, who was visiting the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
Pereira was a member of the GPP's central committee and the editor of its publication, Goan Age. In its inaugural edition, published on 26 January 1954, Pereira wrote an article, Goa: Another Korea, which analyzed how Americans had strengthened their military presence near Goa. As part of the GPP, he also addressed many public meetings on issues like the planning of satyagrahas, encouragement of women to join the freedom struggle, and the removal of the economic blockade of Goa.
Pereira also published flyers and booklets related to the Goan freedom struggle, including Viva 18th June Movement and Goan Question Reconsidered. He also contributed to newspapers like the National Herald, Amrita Bazar Patrika and The Free Press Journal. He also edited the Konkani journal Novem Jivit (New Life).
In 1955, during the mass satyagraha at Patradevi, Pereira was an organiser of the satyagrahis, while Luisa Carvalho, whom he later married, was one of the leaders of the Medical Brigade of the GVSS.
In May 1957, he contested the municipal elections for the Bombay Municipal Corporation from Mazgaon constituency and lost. In June that year, he was part of a delegation of 11 Goans chosen for consultation by then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Others included Evágrio Jorge, Vishwanath Lawande and Purushottam Kakodkar.
Pereira was active in Bombay's trade union movement, and worked with T. B. Cunha, B. T. Ranadive, S. A. Dange and G. Adhikari. He was also the Secretary of the T. B. Cunha Memorial Committee.
Post-Liberation of Goa
= Trade unionism
=
After the Liberation of Goa on 19 December 1961, Pereira led a historic strike in the port harbour on 12 January 1962 and founded the first trade union in Goa in Mormugao Port, the Marmagao Port, Dock and Transport Workers' Union, now known as the Mormugao Waterfront Workers' Union, on 20 January 1962. More than 4000 workers of the Port went on strike under Pereira's leadership. The strike attracted the attention of the Central Government. Pereira then became known as a popular Communist trade union leader.
In 1964–1965, Pereira led another strike of the Port workers for the formation of the Mormugao Dock Labour Board. During this strike, two workers were martyred. Pereira was then arrested and imprisoned in the Bicholim sub-jail.
In 1973–1974, Pereira led another historic strike of the Coca-Cola workers in Goa. During this strike, on 18 January 1974, 2 MLAs of the United Goans Party (UGP) opened fire on the workers at the Coca-Cola factory in Borim. This led to the formation of the Action Committee of Trade Unions and Mass Organisations in Goa, which organised the first All Goa Bandh on 18 February 1974. This ultimately led to the defeat of the UGP candidate Wilfred de Souza by the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) candidate, Menino Jesus Luta Ferrão, in the 1974 by-election of the Benaulim Assembly constituency, followed by the split of the UGP to the United Goans Democratic Party.
= Book on history of Goa
=
While Pereira was a student of politics and economics, he was convinced to pursue his masters in history. Thus, as part of his masters thesis, he studied the history of Goa. He researched at the library at The Asiatic Society of Mumbai and was guided by many, including Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi. He completed his thesis in 1963 and about 10 years later, he self-published it as a book, titled, An Outline of Pre-Portuguese History of Goa. The book covers the history of Goa, including the early settlers, Bhoja kings, the Silaharas, the Kadamba dynasty, Vijayanagara Empire, Adil Shahi rule, ending with the Portuguese conquest of Goa. Sandesh Prabhudesai describes Pereira as "an expert in history and political science", going on to quote Pereira about the myth of Parshurama bringing the Gaud Saraswat Brahmins to Goa.
= Political career
=
Pereira was one of the founders of the Goa branch of the Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), after the CPI split in Goa in 1967–1968. He was also the General Secretary of the Goa branch of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and before that, of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC). Pereira was a member of the CITU Working Committee.
On 27 November 1962, Pereira was arrested at Londa for being a part of the Communist Party of India, and for allegedly being "Pro-China", in the background of the Sino-Indian War.
Pereira and other Goan Communists, like George Vaz and Berta de Menezes Bragança, began working with the Goan peasants soon after the Liberation of Goa, forming the Shetkari Paksh (Farmers' Party). In the 1963 Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly election, they did not contest with their Communist symbols but instead contested as a political front, the Frente Popular. This was done to not attract the attention of the Goan Catholic Church, who considered the Communists as a threat. Pereira contested elections from the Mormugao Assembly constituency. Being fielded by the port workers, and having the support of the working class people in the city of Vasco da Gama, Pereira was expected to win with a thumping majority. However, he was defeated by Urminda Mascarenhas, who became the first female MLA to be elected in Goa, Daman and Diu. While some believe that a Portuguese newspaper's work had convinced the public, the prevailing theory is that the Goan Catholic Church had opposed Pereira, who was a Communist and thus did not believe in religion. The day of polling was 9 December 1963, a Monday, and the Sunday Mass on the previous day influenced the voters.
Pereira also contested in the 1967 Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly election but did not win.
= Other work
=
In 1966, Pereira was chosen to visit the Soviet Union as part of the AITUC delgation of the Indo-Soviet Cultural Society (ISCUS). He was also a part of organisations like the Goan Arts and Culture League, Goa Mundkar and Shetkari Sabha, and the Indo-Cuban Solidarity Centre (CESIC).
Personal life
Pereira married Luisa Carvalho, a medical practitioner and also a freedom fighter, on 24 December 1960 under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. She was also an active member of the CPI(M) and CITU in Goa. Together, they had 3 children, none of whom were initiated into any religion. Pereira lived in Vasco and Bombay, moving to Bombay after he was outlawed in his school days and came back to Vasco only after the Liberation of Goa.
Illness and death
Pereira had a heart attack on 2 June 1975 and was admitted to KEM Hospital, Bombay. After his discharge in August 1975, he began working on an underground campaign against the Indian Emergency while recuperating in Bombay. He moved back to Goa in February 1976 and immediately continued his trade union work. He died on 4 March 1976, after suffering from another heart attack.
Works
Viva 18th June Movement
Goan Question Reconsidered
Editor, Selected Writings of Dr. T. B. Cunha
An Outline of Pre-Portuguese History of Goa (1973)
See also
T. B. Cunha
George Vaz
Berta de Menezes Bragança
Beatris de Menezes Bragança
References
External links
Pereira, Gerald (18 June 1971). Viva 18th June Movement.
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