Veteran freedom fighter, Mohan Ranade, who was one of the main pillars of the final phase of Goan freedom struggle ignited by Ram Manohar Lohia in 1946, passed away in Pune, Tuesday morning. He was 90.
Ranade was ailing for quite some time and was hospitalised in a Pune hospital. He was presently undergoing treatment.
Ranade was cremated at Vaikunth crematorium in Pune Tuesday evening with full state honours accorded by the governments of Goa and Maharashtra. Minister for Urban Development Milind Naik represented the government of Goa at the funeral. Former parliamentarian Narendra Sawaikar also paid tributes to Ranade in Pune.
Born Manohar Apte, in 1929 and a native of Sangli-Maharashtra, the revered freedom fighter assumed the name Mohan Ranade, during the armed struggle of Azad Gomantak Dal against the Portuguese colonial rule. The name stuck to him till the end.
Ranade had arrived in Goa during the early 1950s, disguised as a Marathi teacher and was involved in the armed activities of the Azad Gomantak Dal. He carried out armed attacks against the Portuguese police posts, the last of which at Betim, in October 1955 resulted in injury to him and was captured by the Portuguese police. Sentenced to 26 years imprisonment, Ranade was deported to Portugal and was in the Lisbon jail till 1969, long after Goa was liberated on December 19, 1961.