Mohan Ranade was a member of the Azad Gomantak Dal, a group of freedom fighters who believed in the doctrine of armed attacks against colonial rule and staged armed ambushes on several Portuguese installations in Goa
Mohan Ranade
Panaji: Veteran freedom fighter and Padmashri Mohan Ranade died early on Tuesday in Pune following a prolonged illness. He was 89. Ranade had participated in Goa's independence struggle against Portuguese rule.
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Ranade was a member of the Azad Gomantak Dal, a group of freedom fighters who believed in the doctrine of armed attacks against colonial rule and staged armed ambushes on several Portuguese installations in Goa, their favourite targets being police stations.
Mohan Ranade was arrested in 1955 for an armed attack on the Betim police station. Born in Sangli, Ranade who worked undercover as a Marathi school teacher in Goa was sentenced to serve 26 years imprisonment at the Fort of Caxias, near the Portuguese capital Lisbon.
Deeply saddened by the passing away Shri Mohan Ranade, a fearless freedom fighter who fought for the liberation of Goa. His sacrifices and struggles for Goa will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/5ODjDVZhHT
— Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) June 25, 2019
Ranade was arrested after he received gunshot wounds to his lungs, from which he recovered, and was sentenced first to five years in solitary confinement in Goa, after which he was tried in Portugal. In all, Mohan Ranade eventually served 14 years in prison on account of his struggle for Goa's independence. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed grief over Ranade's demise.
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