Goa has lost one of its courageous sons. Ilidio Francisco Do Carmo Costa, a 96-year-old freedom fighter who dedicated his youth to Goa’s liberation, passed away peacefully at a hospital in Miramar. He was cremated on Monday at the St Inez Crematorium, followed by a quiet prayer service with members of his SGI Buddhist community at his home in Caranzalem.
Ilidio leaves behind his youngest son, Ravi Costa, and his sister, Lira Pimenta, who lives in the United States. He was born in Goa to the late Antonio Caetano Naziazeno Da Costa and Maria Elvira Pimenta Rebello E Costa. He later married Alda Clarissa Conceicao Da Costa, with whom he had three children—Indira Douglas and Dilip Costa, both of whom passed away earlier, and Ravi.
Ilidio’s life was marked by courage from an early age. As a young man, he threw himself wholeheartedly into the freedom struggle. A committed member of the Azad Gomantak Dal and the Goa Liberation Army, he took part in underground resistance activities that eventually led to his arrest. His imprisonment at Aguada jail lasted over three years, during which he endured harsh and inhuman treatment. Yet his spirit remained unbroken. After his release, he and his comrade Ernesto Costa Frias were honoured with the prestigious Tamarapatra for their bravery.
On June 18, 1959—just after regaining his freedom—Ilidio married his long-time sweetheart, Alda, who herself came from a family of freedom fighters. Their journey took them from Goa to Bombay, then to Zanzibar, and eventually to Santos in São Paulo, Brazil, where Ilidio’s parents had already settled after selling their Altinho home to Dayanand Bandodkar, who would later become Goa’s first Chief Minister.
In Brazil, Ilidio built a new life, working with a shipping company that later transferred him to Tokyo, where he served for 15 years. After retiring, he returned to Goa in the 1980s, the land he had fought for as a young man. Alda passed away in 2013 after a long illness.
Even in his later years, Ilidio’s contributions did not go unrecognized. On June 18, 2023—Goa Revolution Day and India’s 75th year of Independence—he was awarded a Certificate of Honour by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for his patriotism, bravery, and role in the freedom struggle.
Ilidio was also a man who loved learning. He studied in Belgaum, earning a diploma in teacher training, and remained an avid reader throughout his life. His home was filled with books, which he continued to collect even in his final years.
With his passing, Goa bids farewell to a man who not only witnessed history but helped shape it—a freedom fighter, a traveller, a reader, and above all, a proud Goan who lived fully and fearlessly.
