When in 1955 there was a nation wide call for a mass movement for Goa’s liberation, Jammu’s Praja Parishad sent 20 Satyagrahis to Goa under the leadership of Thakur Ranjit Singh and Tilak Raj Sharma.
Before setting off to Goa the Satyagrahis marched through Jammu’s different bazaars starting from Kacchi Chawni and culminating at Dogra Chowk.
After reaching Pune the Satyagrahis were divided into 2 groups, one entering Goa from Dharwad and the other from Sanwatvadi.
The group of Satyagrahis who had taken the Dharwad route came under fire. Many died and the rest were imprisoned and tortured.
Many of the Satyagrahis sustained severe injuries and were treated after being rescued by the Indian army. Thakur Ranjit Singh succumbed to his injuries and attained Veergati a month after reaching Jammu.
50 years after the Satyagrah the Government sent a letter to Jammu Goa Swatantrata Senani Parishad Pradhan Tilak Raj Sharma ji, inviting him and the other Satyagrahis to Goa. 8 Satyagrahis from Jammu reached Goa for the felicitation ceremony. The Jammu Satyagrahis were warmly welcomed at the airport with big banners thanking them for their role in Goa’s liberation. Goa’s then CM Manohar Parikkar ji honoured these Satyagrahis in the presence of thousands of people in Azad Maidan.
Later in 2003, in Goa’s Azad Maidan Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat honoured 155 Satyagrahis from other states, including 9 from Jammu.
Along with Thakur Ranjit Singh and Tilak Raj Sharma the other Satyagrahis were Rudramani Shah, Sawan Singh, Om Prakash Wazir, Thakur Sahdev Singh, Bansi Lal, Mulkhraj Arora, Surendra Mohan, Surjit Kumar Gupta, Narendra Gupta, Sant Raj, Ram Lal Sen, Prakash Chandra Wazir.
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