{{Short description|Indian nationalist leader (1909–1980)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Julião Menezes | image = Julião Menezes.jpg | caption = Portrait of Menezes during his youth | political_party = Indian National Congress (1948) | birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|8|7|df=y}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|1980|7|2|1909|8|7|df=y}} | birth_place = Assolnã, Goa, Portuguese India | death_place = Dhobitalao, Bombay, Maharashtra, India | alma_mater = Berlin University (M.D) | years_active = 1930–1940s | monuments = Lohia Chowk, Assolna, Goa, India | movement = Goa liberation movement | occupation = {{hlist|Activist|medical practitioner|writer|nationalist leader}} | notable_works = {{plainlist| * ''Beitrag zur chirurgischen Behandlung des Nierensteinleidens'' (1938) * ''Goa's Freedom Struggle'' (1947) * ''Goa: What of the Future'' * ''Contra Roma E Além de Benares'' (1948)}} }}
'''Julião Menezes''' (7 August 1909 – 2 July 1980), popularly known as '''Dr. Juliao Menezes''', was an Indian independence activist, medical practitioner, writer, and nationalist leader. He played a prominent role in the annexation of Goa from the Portuguese rule and was active in the Goa liberation movement. Menezes established the publication ''Gomantak Praja Mandal'', to promote nationalism among Goans. He was a member of the provisional committee of the Indian National Congress in Portuguese Goa and was present at its session in 1948. He played an active role during its formation. Menezes, along with socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, planned the civil disobedience movement against Salazar's regime in Goa on 18 June 1946, a day that is now celebrated as Goa Revolution Day.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2020 |first=Nida |last=Sayed |title='Need stamp in honour of Dr Juliao Menezes' |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/need-stamp-in-honour-of-dr-juliao-menezes/articleshow/76434532.cms |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>
==Early life== Julião Menezes was born on 7 August 1909 in Assolnã, Goa, which was part of Portuguese India during the Portuguese Empire (now in India), to Zeferinho Piedade Menezes, a professional seafarer, and Maria Salvacao. He was the second of six siblings: Argentina, Rupertina, Roque, Menelau, and Alzira.<ref name="SpareToIAzavedo15">{{Cite web |first=Gary|last=Azavedo|date=18 June 2015 |title=Spare a thought for Assolna's Juliao Menezes |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/spare-a-thought-for-assolnas-juliao-menezes/articleshow/47712374.cms |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>
thumb|left|Menezes' parents: Maria Salvacao and Zeferinho Piedade Menezes Menezes's father died when he was young, which caused financial constraints for the family. Despite this, his mother encouraged him to study at Berlin University in Weimar Republic (now Germany), from where he graduated with a medical degree.<ref name="RecognisedHerald19">{{Cite web |date=19 Jun 2019 |title=Shouldn't Juliao Menezes too be recognised on June 18? |url=https://www.heraldgoa.in/Edit/Editorial/Shouldn%E2%80%99t-Juliao-Menezes-too-be-recognised-on-June-18/147672 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=O Heraldo |archive-date=26 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220826073842/https://www.heraldgoa.in/Edit/Editorial/Shouldn%E2%80%99t-Juliao-Menezes-too-be-recognised-on-June-18/147672 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==1930 League of Nations session== During his school days, Menezes considered the Goan journalist Luís de Menezes Bragança and other prominent writers as his role models. While studying medicine at Berlin University, he met socialist political leader Ram Manohar Lohia, who was studying economics. They soon became friends and were part of the Indian Students' Union in Berlin, Weimar Republic (now Germany).<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 June 2022 |title=Goa Revolution Day: Lesser-known facts about the uprising & its heroes |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/goa-revolution-day-lesser-known-facts-about-the-uprising-its-heroes-13830192.htm |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=CNBC TV18 |language=en |archive-date=27 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220827042858/https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/goa-revolution-day-lesser-known-facts-about-the-uprising-its-heroes-13830192.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Menezes also offered protection to Lohia when he went into hiding during the 1942 Quit India Movement.<ref name="RecognisedHerald19" /> The initial occasion on which the pair made an impact was in 1930, during the session of the League of Nations. Lohia and Menezes, who were present on the occasion, threw bundles of leaflets from the visitors' gallery. These leaflets denounced Sir Ganga Singh, the then Maharaja of Bikaner State (now Rajasthan), and an Indian representative sent by the British Crown to present to the League of Nations.<ref name="SpareToIAzavedo15" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Oesterheld |first=Joachim |date=2010 |title=Lohia as a Doctoral Student in Berlin |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25742151 |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=45 |issue=40 |pages=85–91 |jstor=25742151 |issn=0012-9976}}</ref>
==Role in the Goa liberation movement (1938–1946)== In 1938, Menezes started spreading nationalistic propaganda with the support of the Juvenile Club de Assolnã. It was during this time that a library was set up as a front for the meetings of the freedom fighters of the Assolnã, Velim, and Cuncolim (AVC) villages. After the Piazza Cross in front of the Assolnã Church was found demolished, the Portuguese police suspected Menezes and the members of the club. They raided the club and library premises but were unable to arrest Menezes, who had already fled to Bombay, British India.<ref name="FaleiroGoa1961">{{Cite book |last=Faleiro |first=Valmiki |author-link=Valmiki Faleiro |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYLyEAAAQBAJ |title=Goa, 1961: The Complete Story of Nationalism and Integration |date=2023-07-24 |publisher=Penguin Random House India Private Limited |isbn=978-93-5708-175-7 |pages=17–21 |access-date=21 August 2024 |archive-url= |archive-date= |url-status=}}</ref> The Portuguese later auctioned the library and club assets through the Revenue Department. Following this, the Portuguese government enforced a ban on gatherings of more than five people in the Assolnã market for three months.<ref name="SpareToIAzavedo15" />
===Goa Revolution Day=== {{Main|Goa Revolution Day}} In the 1940s, the Goa liberation movement experienced increased progress, inspired by the Indian independence movement against the British government.<ref name="SpareToIAzavedo15" /> Following a long imprisonment, Lohia met Menezes in Bombay for a medical consultation in April 1946. Menezes then invited Lohia to recuperate with him at his home in Assolnã. They reached Assolnã on 10 June 1946. After fellow freedom fighter Evágrio Jorge published the news of Lohia's arrival in the 12 June edition of ''O Heraldo'', the general public and other local freedom fighters began visiting Menezes's house in large numbers. Menezes and Lohia then began planning a civil disobedience movement. They addressed people in Nova Goa and Mormugão between 15 and 17 June, informing people that they would defy the ban on public meetings and address an audience of Goans on 18 June in Margão.<ref name="FaleiroGoa1961" />
On 18 June 1946, Menezes and Lohia arrived at the designated maidan in Margão, evading and defying the Portuguese police. They were greeted by a large crowd that was chanting slogans. About 600–700 people gathered before the duo was physically escorted to the police station, just as Lohia had begun addressing the audience. The police resorted to a baton charge to disperse the crowd. However, everyone regrouped at the police station and only left after Lohia addressed them briefly. The location of the gathering is today known as Lohia Maidan, and the date, 18 June, is celebrated as Goa Revolution Day.<ref name="FaleiroGoa1961" /> Menezes and Lohia continued their nationalistic efforts after this incident.<ref name="RecognisedHerald19" /> While this event was deemed unsuccessful, it led to over 1,500 arrests and inspired Goans to keep protesting for their freedom, eventually leading to the annexation of Goa in 1961.<ref name="RevolutionFPJ22">{{Cite web |title=Goa Revolution Day 2022: History and significance |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/goa-revolution-day-2022-history-and-significance |access-date=2022-09-01 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en}}</ref>
==Death== Menezes died as a bachelor at his residence in Dhobitalao, Bombay, on 2 July 1980, at the age of 70.<ref name="SpareToIAzavedo15" />
==Publications== In 1939, Menezes founded the ''Gomantak Praja Mandal'' in Bombay, British India<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 December 2020 |title=Operation Vijay-Liberation of Goa – JournalsOfIndia |url=https://journalsofindia.com/operation-vijay-liberation-of-goa/ |access-date=2022-08-27 |language=en-US |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130083933/https://journalsofindia.com/operation-vijay-liberation-of-goa/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |date=1956 |title=L'etat Portugais De L'inde Et L'union Indienne |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44827794 |journal=Chronique de politique étrangère |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=5–39 |jstor=44827794 |issn=0009-6059}}</ref> with an aim to spread nationalism amongst the Goans. Three years later, in 1942, he launched a bilingual, English-Konkani weekly named ''Gomantak''. Some of his notable publications include, ''Beitrag zur chirurgischen Behandlung des Nierensteinleidens'' (1938),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Menezes |first=Juliao |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2CFGAwEACAAJ |title=Beitrag zur chirurgischen Behandlung des Nierensteinleidens |date=1938 |publisher=Wulkan-Druck |language=de |access-date=27 August 2022 |archive-date=22 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822123256/https://books.google.com/books?id=2CFGAwEACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Goa's Freedom Struggle'' (1947),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Menezes |first=Juliao |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5eyHAAACAAJ |title=Goa's Freedom Struggle |date=1947 |publisher=The author |language=en |access-date=27 August 2022 |archive-date=22 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822123426/https://books.google.com/books?id=b5eyHAAACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Goa: What of the Future'', and ''Contra Roma E Além de Benares'' (1948).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Menezes |first=Julião |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NjH9MgEACAAJ |title=Contra Roma E Além de Benares |date=1948 |publisher=Bombay |language=en |access-date=27 August 2022 |archive-date=22 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822123301/https://books.google.com/books?id=NjH9MgEACAAJ |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Legacy == A memorial named after Menezes and his companion Ram Manohar Lohia was constructed in the Assolna market, called the Lohia Chowk.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neglect stares at Lohia Chowk in Assolna |url=https://www.thegoan.net/goa-news/neglect-stares-at-lohia-chowk-in-assolna/70725.html |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=The Goan |language=en |archive-date=22 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822123812/https://www.thegoan.net/goa-news/neglect-stares-at-lohia-chowk-in-assolna/70725.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
On 18 June 1986, the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu honoured Menezes posthumously.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shirodkar |first=Pandurang Purushottam |author-link=Pandurang Purushottam Shirodkar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISScyAEACAAJ |title=Who's Who of Freedom Fighters, Goa, Daman, and Diu |date=1986 |publisher=Goa Gazetteer Department, Government of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman, and Diu |volume=1 |pages=221}}</ref>
{{Gallery |title=Lohia Chowk |width=250 | height=260 |align=center |File:Juliao Menezes and Ram Manohar Lohia Memorial.jpg |Lohia Chowk at Assolna market |File:Memorial inducted names including Ram Manohar Lohia and Juliao Menezes.jpg |Inscription stone of Dr. Juliao Menezes and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia }}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Commons category-inline}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Menezes, Julião}} Category:1909 births Category:1980 deaths Category:Goa liberation activists Category:People from Mumbai Category:Medical doctors from Goa Category:People from Portuguese India Category:20th-century Indian politicians Category:People from South Goa district Category:20th-century Indian medical doctors Category:Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Category:Indian National Congress politicians