Panaji, May 30: Goa will pay respects to martyrs at the National War Memorial in Delhi on July 15 every year, to mark the first liberation struggle against the Portuguese rule in the coastal state, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Monday. He was speaking at a function on the occasion of the Goa Statehood Day.

Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai was also present at the function. Sawant said the central government has asked states to mark one day of the year for paying tributes at the National War Memorial in New Delhi.

It is a day when a chief minister, minister or any representative of the state will pay respect to martyrs at the National War Memorial, he said. Goa has decided to observe July 15 as the day to mark the Cuncolim revolt, which was the first rebellion against the then Portuguese government in 1583, Sawant said. Goa State Formation Day 2022: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee 'Salutes' Fighting Spirit of Goans on 35th Statehood Day.

The revolt had taken place at Cuncolim village in South Goa district. Five Jesuit priests along with a Portuguese civilian and 14 Goans were killed in the incident. The local Portuguese garrison had retaliated by executing the village chieftains involved in the revolt. The villagers have constructed a memorial in the name of the killed chieftains.

Goa, which was a part of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, was accorded statehood on May 30, 1987. Sawant said Goa has seen a lot of development after it was accorded statehood in 1987.

The Konkani language, which was a parameter to accord statehood to Goa, is also being developed with the help of various institutions like the Goa Konkani Academy and the Konkani Bhasha Mandal.

The chief minister announced that during the Statehood Day function every year, the government will felicitate the organisations which have contributed towards the development of Goa. During the function on Monday, the Goa government felicitated all the previous chief ministers and representatives of the deceased CMs.