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VASCO LOOSES ITS FIRST MLA
Urminda Mascarenhas e Lima Leitao passed away on 20/2/2010 at Vasco da
Gama at Dr.Baban's Nursing Home.
Urminda Mascarenhas e Lima Leitao, B.Sc, B.T (Bombay University),
passed away on 20/2/2010 at Vasco da Gama at age 84 after a prolonged
illness.
1.Principal of Almeida School , Ponda 1948-1952
2.She was a Founder Member of the United Goans Party along with her
husband Marcelino Da Lima Leitao.
3.First and only woman MLA of Goa elected to the First Legislative
Assembly of the Union Territory of Goa, Damao and Diu from Vasco
Constituency .She was known for her no nonsense attitude and her firebrand
speeches in the Legislative Assembly of Goa.
4. Urminda and her spouse Marcelino fought alongside other colleagues
in the United Goans against the merger of Goa . Her efforts to inform and
educate fellow goans as to their political rights and duties paid off and
placed Goa on the political map of India .The Opinion Poll that was held on
the 16 of January ,1965 ( incidentally her 39th birthday ) decided that Goa,
Damao and Diu would continue as an Union Territory .
5. Urminda gave up active politics to join her beloved husband in
business in 1968.Marcelino passed away suddenly in August of 1972.
as did her son Noel at Calcutta last September( 2009 ) . She is
survived by 5 children, 2 daughters-in-law and 10 grand-children.
6. Her mentors in politics were C.Rajagopalachari of Swatantra Party,
Nijalingappa C.M of Karnataka and Rajmohan Gandhi to mention a few.
Ana Maria de Souza-Goswami
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