Nityanand Saha

Nityananda Saha^[1] (Bengali: নিত্যানন্দ সাহা) (2 March 1933 – 3 August 1955) was an Indian freedom fighter who sacrificed his life in the Goa liberation movement against Portuguese colonial rule. Born in Porabari, Mymensingh, he migrated to Payradanga in Nadia, West Bengal after the Partition of 1947. He worked briefly in the military and later ran a small factory while actively participating in local youth activism through Tarun Sangha. In 1955, Saha joined a non-violent march in Goa to demand an end to Portuguese rule. On August 3, he was shot dead by Salazar’s forces, becoming a martyr alongside Baburao Thorat, sparking nationwide protests and renewed liberation efforts. ^{[2][3][4][5][6][7]}

Nityananda Saha was born on 2 March 1933 in Porabari village, located in Mymensingh District of present-day Bangladesh (then part of British India). He was the son of Ashwini Kumar Saha. He completed his early education locally and later attended Thatya Jaburi College, where he passed his matriculation examination in 1949.^[8][9]

Following the Partition of India in 1947, his family migrated from East Pakistan to West Bengal, eventually settling in the Pritinagar Colony near Payradanga, in Nadia district. There, Saha lived with his wife, Shodoshimala, and briefly served in the Indian military before establishing a small cigarette manufacturing unit in the Payradanga market area.^[10][11]

In Payradanga, Nityananda Saha became actively involved in community life and youth development. He was a member of the local organization Tarun Sangha^[12], which played a role in mobilizing young people for social service and patriotic causes. Deeply inspired by the Indian independence movement and particularly by Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army (INA), Saha continued to harbour nationalist aspirations even after India's independence.^{[13][14][15][16]}

In 1955, in Chakdaha, under the guidance of Ahibhusan Chakraborty, a local leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, several youth volunteers were mobilized to participate in the movement.^[17][18] On July 31, 1955, Saha, along with fellow activist Manoj Sarbadhikari, joined one such group and travelled to Goa.^[19]

Although the Hindu Mahasabha was not a leading organization in the movement, it supported the Satyagraha campaign by sending volunteers. These efforts coincided with broader mobilization by other organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. The movement adopted Gandhian principles of non-violent resistance and intensified in 1954–1955.^{[20][21][22][23]}

By the mid-1950s, his attention turned toward the continuing colonial occupation of Goa, Daman and Diu by Portugal, and he expressed a strong desire to contribute to the liberation of these territories.^{[24][25][26][27]}

On 3 August 1955, Nityanand Saha participated in a peaceful protest against Portuguese rule, during which he and other demonstrators, including Baburao Thorat of Maharashtra, were fired upon by Portuguese police forces. Saha sustained critical injuries during the confrontation and was admitted to Vengurla Hospital, Goa where he succumbed to his wounds on 3 August 1955.^[28][29][30]

Baburao Thorat was another notable martyr who lost his life during the same protest in Goa. Born in August 1925 in Chandrapur, Chanda District, Maharashtra, he was the son of Keshav Thorat. A carpet merchant by profession, Thorat was inspired by nationalist ideals and joined the 1955 Goa Satyagraha movement.^[31]

He actively participated in the protest and crossed the border into Portuguese Goa. On 3 August 1955, he was shot and killed by Portuguese police, the same location where Nityanand Saha was critically injured.^[32][33]

Their deaths sparked widespread public outrage across India, inspiring hundreds of volunteers to participate in subsequent waves of Goa liberation movement on 15 August 1955., over 5,000 volunteers entered Goa chanting slogans such as “Portuguese Quit India.” The brutal response by Portuguese forces led to the deaths of 22 protesters and injuries to over 200, further galvanizing public sentiment across India.^[34][24]

The death of Nityanand Saha became a symbol of resistance against colonial repression in Goa. His martyrdom contributed to the growing momentum of the Goa liberation movement, which ultimately led to the annexation of Goa by India in 1961 through Operation Vijay, a military intervention.

On 25 November 1995, a bust and memorial were inaugurated in his honour near Payradanga railway station by Subhas Basu, Member of the Legislative Assembly from Chakdaha constituency, and Subhas Chakraborty senior leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The memorial remains a prominent local landmark commemorating his sacrifice.^[35][36]

In addition to the memorial, a cultural center and a public library named Rabindra Bhavan and Shaheed Nityananda Smriti Granthagar have been established in Payradanga, further preserving his memory and contribution to the nation.

In North Kolkata, a road formerly known as Portuguese Church Street was renamed Shaheed Nityananda Saha Sarani as a mark of respect for his role in the liberation of Goa.^[37]

• Hrishikesh Saha
• Gopinath Saha
• Goa liberation movement
• Annexation of Goa
• Antonio De Salazar