Laxmikant Bhembre
Laxmikant Venkatesh Prabhu Bhembre was an Indian freedom fighter and teacher. He was a member of the Sanghatna Samiti, which was renamed as Gomantak Congress.
Early life
Laxmikant Venkatesh Prabhu Bhembre was born on 2 August 1906 at Rivona, Sanguem taluka, Portuguese Goa to Venkatesh Anant Prabhu Bhembre. He completed his third year of Lyceum, matriculation government service examination and Sanad for legal practice.Career
Teaching career
Bhembre was a teacher who taught at Union High School and Popular High School in Margao.Early political activities
Bhembre was a leading member of the political organisation, Sanghatna Samiti, that was later renamed as the Gomantak Congress. This group worked in secret to create awareness about Goa's freedom, before the unification of the National Congress Goa.In August 1946, Bhembre chaired a significant meeting in Londa, which led to the establishment of the National Congress of Goa. He was a founding member of its executive committee and took part in the Satyagraha campaign in Margao. His involvement in these activities led to his arrest and trial under Portuguese rule. In October 1946, he was sentenced to a four-year prison term and was subsequently deported to Portugal.
Imprisonment in Portugal
Upon his arrival in Lisbon in January 1947, Bhembre was incarcerated at Peniche Fort along with other political detainees. During his imprisonment, he protested the lack of separation between political and non-political prisoners, including participating in a hunger strike. These efforts resulted in adjustments to the Portuguese prison policies.While at Peniche jail, he and the other freedom fighters, Rama Hegde, Purushottam Kakodkar, José Inácio Candido de Loyola and T. B. Cunha, hosted the newlywed Pundalik Gaitonde and Edila Gaitonde for their honeymoon. These prisoners organised a celebration in honour of Pundalik and Edila. They hosted a meal for the newlyweds.
After his release in October 1950, he remained under police surveillance in Lisbon, as the Portuguese authorities did not permit his return to Goa. This surveillance continued until December 1961.