Anthony de Souza

Anthony "Tony" John De Souza (14 October 1920 – 1 March 1981), also referred to as Antonio Joao de Souza and Anthony D'Souza, was an Indian independence activist, trade unionist and politician. He is best known for leading a group of Satyagrahis into Portuguese Goa in 1954 as part of a coordinated effort by the National Congress (Goa) to demand the end of Portuguese rule. After the Indian annexation of Goa, he served as a minister in the second Dayanand Bandodkar ministry and was active in various labour unions.

Early life De Souza was born on 14 October 1920 in Bombay. He completed his education up to the matriculation level. Although he initially entered a seminary with intentions of becoming a priest, he later left to travel across India, spending time in Kashi studying the Vedas.

Prior to his full-time involvement in the Goan independence movement, De Souza worked at Lloyds Bank. During his tenure there, he became involved in labour activism, serving as the General Secretary of the bank's Workers Union.

The plan involved three distinct groups entering Goa from different border points: A group led by Alfred Afonso, which entered via Terekhol. A group led by Mark Fernandes, which entered via the Banda border. A group led by Anthony De Souza, which entered via the Polem border.

In his later political career, he joined the Indian National Congress. He continued his trade union activities, holding membership in the Goa Shipyard Workers Union, the National Engineer Workers Union, and the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC). Toward the end of his life, he retired from active politics to focus on social work.

Awards On 18 June 1984, he was posthumously awarded a Tamra Patra by the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu for his services during the Goan independence movement.