Evagrio Jorge

Evágrio Fransisco Jorge (6 March 1925 – 20 August 1978) was an Indian independence activist and journalist.

Early life Evágrio Fransisco Jorge was born on 6 March 1925 in Carmona, Salcete, Portuguese Goa, to Tito Manuel Jorge and Moi Sinha Rodrigues. He completed his 7th year of Lyceum education.

Goan independence movement When Ram Manohar Lohia visited Goa in June 1946, Jorge visited Lohia at the home of Julião Menezes and published the news of Lohia's arrival on the O Heraldo newspaper on 12 June. This triggered the civil disobedience movement that is today known as Goa Revolution Day. Later, Jorge went to visit Lohia in Bombay, accompanied by Purushottam Kakodkar. While there, they got to know that the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was passing through the city. They thus met him and requested him for Goa's independence. They then received encouragement from Nehru.

In the 1940s, Jorge led a political party, Liga Regional (the Regional League). He was also one of founders of the National Congress (Goa) (NCG). He was elected as its Joint Secretary at the first meeting, held in Londa, Karnataka on 18 August 1946. On 7 November 1946, he was arrested after he offered satyagraha at Cuncolim. He was released after being imprisoned and tortured for 45 days. After his release, he was given the responsibility of the Belgaum and Khanapur satyagraha camps of the NCG.

Career As a writer and journalist, between 1942 and 1961, Jorge published about 16 flyers and books against the Portuguese government. In the 1940s, he worked for oHeraldo.

Death Jorge was killed in a freak accident in Panaji, Goa, on 20 August 1978 when a bus lost control and killed him and Mark Fernandes. Jorge was a member of the Congress (I) at the time of his death.

Personal life Jorge was married to Margarida and had two children, Subhas and Vijayalakshmi.

Views In his 1942 pamphlet, A Reforma do Vestuário, Jorge promoted khadi cloth. He lamented that both Hindus and Christians in Goa, under the Portuguese rule, wore "Western" clothes manufactured outside of India. He stated that the Catholic Church in Goa was used by the Portuguese to impose "Western (occidentals) dressing and customs". Urging Hindus to turn back to their culture, he said,

Awards and accolades In 1972, Jorge was awarded the Tamrapatra Award for independence activists by the Government of India. In 1984, he was posthumously honoured by the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu.

Works

Some of Jorge's works include:

A Reform do Vestuario (1942) Uma decisso judicial (1943) Vestuario and Santos ou Arruaceiros (1944) Porque Ofereco Satyagraha (1946) Portugezanchem Raj Mhollear Goenkaranchem Nisantonn (1947) Goenchea Jivitacho Asro (1954) Salazar Ani Goem Goenche Utthau Ani Bonddam (1956) Nehru Ani Goemand Lokmanya Tilak (1957) Katolk Igorz Goench Sodvonnechi Chollvoll (1957) Salazar’s rule in Portuguese and Goa Case (1959) The Goa Case (1961) Goemkarachem Desbhoxttepon (T B Cunha-chea pustoka onkar) (1961) Os Bhrahamanes (1969) Eka monxachem noxib (Solokov-achi novol kanni) (1968) Nillea Dollean-chi Ostori (1969) Karykha (Mikhali Alexeyev - chi novol kanni) (1974) Ojeapam Vizmitam Nuvem Gavant (1974) Goa’s Awakening – Reminiscence of the 1946 Civil Disobedience Movement