Leaving a safe career
Libia Lobo Sardesai’s story belongs to a time when Goa was under Portuguese rule and independent political communication was tightly controlled. Her 2025 Padma citation records her as a freedom fighter, advocate, social worker and activist for women.
She completed English honours and an LL.B. in Bombay and worked with All India Radio, but gave up a secure career to take an active part in the struggle to free Goa.
Voice of Freedom
From 1955 to 1961, together with Vaman Sardesai, she ran the underground radio station “Voice of Freedom”. Her voice is historically linked to the announcement of Goa’s liberation on 19 December 1961. According to the official citation, that final broadcast was made from an Indian Air Force aircraft.
Building after freedom
After liberation she became the first Director of Tourism of Goa, Daman and Diu, practised law, and was involved with a women’s cooperative bank and education initiatives. Her life shows that building institutions after freedom matters as much as winning it.
Communication can be a powerful tool against authoritarian control, and a woman’s public leadership can span many fields at once.
Sources
- Padma Awards 2025: official citation
- The Indian Express: Explained History profile
- BBC: documentary
- padmaawards.gov.in/Document/pdf/CitationsForTickets/2025/202581.pdf
- indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-history/libia-lobo-sardesai-padma-shri-goa-liberation-9802249/
- youtube.com/watch?v=VLo-x9zm-78