From daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji: "Just don't label Goa as the land of booze and women," was the message by Goa's freedom fighters to the politicians and non-goans today on the occasion of the commemoration of Goa Revolution Day.

"It's paining to see that Goa is painted as the land of women and booze. I still recall the days when Portuguese were here. There were hardly four to five drunkards in each village. The rest were all were clean. Goa still remains the same," Chandrakant Kenkre, president, Goa Swatantraya Sainik Sanghatna, told the guests and the crowd gathered to commemorate Goa Revolution Day on Sunday, June 18 at the Azad Maidan.

Goa governor S C Jamir, chief minister Pratapsingh Rane, speaker Fransisco Sardina, leader of the opposition Manohar Parrikar, ministers, legislators, bureaucrats, students and public comprised the gathering.

Commenting on Goa government's decision to allow sale of beer across the counter, Kenkre, a veteran freedom fighter, said that such a decision would mar Goa's image.

"Goa is a small state. It can be administered in a better way. We should work out a master plan for the state," the freedom fighter suggested.

He said that casino and beer culture would ruin the state. "Tourism is welcome here but it should come with certain restrictions. Kenkre also spilled beans on the state government for their policy on education. "Why are we insisting that our children should learn English at primary level. Look at Japan and China, they have progressed so much and they still impart education in their own languages," he said commenting on state government's decision to make English compulsory at primary level.

Chief Minister Rane, in his speech, made no mention about Kenkre's worries. But he assured that all the concerns expressed by the freedom fighters in their speeches would be discussed in the legislative assembly session commencing from July 10.