Collected writing of Francisco Luis Gomes to be released in Salcete on death anniversary, coming Friday (Sept 30) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He was a physician, writer, historian, economist, political scientist and MP in the Portuguese parliament all rolled into one. Francisco Luis Gomes was was also Goa's parliamentarian who died the youngest (at 40) and with such varied interests that he even crafted a novel. Dr Gomes' full-length novel, Os Brahamanes (The Brahmins), is the first to be crafted by a Goan in the Portuguese language. His contribution to the fields of liberal philosophy and economics led him to be called 'The Prince of Intellectuals' in Europe. Back home in Goa, except for a a statue or two and rare mention in textbooks, Francisco Luis Gomes (1829-1869) is almost a forgotten hero. While Gomes is not much recalled nowadays, on September 30 each year, the anniversary of his death is marked on some calendars as the Francisco Luis Gomes Commemoration Day. In Goa, a district library launched recently at Navelim has been named after him too. Gomes has also been the subject of two recent new books -- one by Olivinho Gomes, and the other by Luis Assis Correia, the latter of which is to be launched on coming Friday (Sept 30, 2011) at the South Goa District Library at 5 pm. The function is open to the public and the book is published by Goa,1556. Born in 1829 in the hamlet of Colmoroddo vaddo of Navelim, this intellectual showed a flair for languages during his early years in his village. This polyglot was highly proficient in Konkani, Portuguese and French, and had a good understanding of English, Italian, Spanish, Latin and Marathi. His goal in life was to advance the cause of freedom, truth and justice. Strangely, Gomes achieve all this even though he he lived for just 40 years. In 1860, he was elected to the Portuguese parliament, His first speech in parliament let other realise he was a great orator and parliemtary. He is believed to have been offered a Cabinet post on three occasions. He strove to create a society based on the prinicples of liberty, equality and fraternity, and campaigned against socio-economic injustices committed on the colonised peoples across the Portuguese Empire. Gomes was a Romanticist who cherished the concept of liberty. His politics, unlike in latter cases, was reinforced by his religion, while he also took pride in the intellectual legacy of the wider Indian civilisation. IMAGES: Two books on Francisco Luis Gomes, one by Olivilho Gomes and another by Luis Assis Correia. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/6196012427/in/photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/6196527108/in/photostream
