By: Qurban Ali [Qurban Ali is a trilingual journalist who has covered some of modern India’s major political, social and economic developments. He has a keen interest in India’s freedom struggle and is now documenting the history of the socialist movement in the country.] Published in: *The Wire* Date: June 6, 2025 Source: https://thewire.in/history/honouring-peter-alvaress-role-in-goas-liberation-and-beyond
Alvares also relentlessly fought for the rights of the working class and gave immense momentum to the trade union movement in India. Quote: "Alvares was born on March 31, 1908 in Parra, Bardez, Goa. He had actively participated in India’s freedom struggle. His tryst with politics began in 1930 during the civil disobedience movement, and he was jailed from August 1942 to April 1944. A Catholic, Alvares would often dress as a Hindu when visiting the homes of local Hindus to enlist them in Goa’s liberation movement. Aware of these activities, the Portuguese police chargesheeted and convicted him in absentia for 18 years of rigorous imprisonment. In June 1957, Alvares was part of a delegation of 11 Goans chosen for consultation by then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. Others included Armando Menezes and his brother Nicolau Menezes, along with Luis Gracias, J.N. Heredia, Evágrio Jorge, Vishwanath Lawande, Gerald Pereira, Rama Hegde, Pundalik Gaitonde and Purushottam Kakodkar. Alvares relentlessly fought for the rights of the working class and gave immense momentum to the trade union movement in India. Alvares was the founder of then GIP Railway Panchayat (later renamed National Railway Mazdoor Union) and a number of other unions of the Indian Railways."
