Campal Gardens: Luis Gomes Garden

“I am proud and happy to belong to a race which composed the Mahabharata and invented chess—two works which, it has been nobly said, bear in them something of the eternal and the infinite”. These words mark one of the sides of the statue memorial dedicated to the legendary Francisco Luís Gomes inside the Campal Gardens. Luis Gomes was one of the most prolific leaders of Goa to advance the cause of equality, freedom and justice and served as an elected representative (MP) of Portuguese India in the Portuguese parliament. As a proud Indian, he advocated swaraj or self-rule for Indians. As a socialist, he criticized caste-based discrimination in the country. As a proud Christian, he criticized the European colonizers' non-compliance to Christian values. His efforts saw colonial public servants in Goa get equal status as compared to those in Portugal. A polyglot, FL Gomes spoke Konkani, Marathi, English, Portuguese, French Italian and Spanish. For his contributions, he was awarded knighthood by the Portuguese government. Campal Gardens is a tribute to the revolutionary thought leader, politician and economist, who is respected in both India and Portugal. Situated opposite Mahavir Garden, it has smaller yet neatly manicured lawns and name-tagged flowering plants and shrub varieties. A towering statue of FL Gomes, with marble plaques on all sides, welcomes visitors.