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{{short description|Indian politician and medical practitioner (1914–1981)}}
{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=September 2022}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]]
| name = Alvaro de Loyola Furtado
| honorific_suffix = [[Burma Star|BS]] [[War Medal 1939–1945|WM]]
| image = Alvaro-De-Loyola-Furtado (cropped).jpg
| caption = Official portrait in 1963
| nickname = Dr. Alu
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|5|23|df=y}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1981|8|23|1914|5|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Chinchinim]], [[Goa]], [[Portuguese India]]
| death_place = Goa, India
| relatives = [[Mario de Loyola Furtado]] (brother)
| occupation ={{hlist|Politician|social worker|historian|journalist|medical practitioner}}
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
* [[Rachol Seminary]]
* [[St. Aloysius College (Mangalore)|St. Aloysius College]]
* [[Madras Medical College]] (1941)}}
| office = [[Goa Legislative Assembly|Member of the Goa Legislative Assembly]]
| constituency = [[Navelim Assembly constituency|Navelim]]
| term_start = 1963
| term_end = 1967
| predecessor = ''constituency established''
| successor = [[Leo Velho Mauricio]]
| commands = [[South East Asia Command]]
| allegiance = {{flag|British India}}
| branch = [[File:Flag of the Royal Indian Army.svg|25px]] [[British Indian Army]]
| unit = [[File:Army medical corps India.jpg|25px]] [[Indian Medical Services]]
| battles = [[World War II]]
| rank = [[File:Captain of the Indian Army.svg|25px]][[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]]
}}

[[Captain (armed forces)|Captain]] '''Alvaro de Loyola Furtado''' [[Burma Star|BS]] [[War Medal 1939–1945|WM]] [[Ordem dos Médicos|OM]] (23 May 1914 – 23 August 1981), popularly known as '''Dr. Alu''', was a former member of the [[Goa Legislative Assembly]] and one of the founding members of the [[United Goans Party]].<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar" /> He was also a social worker, historian, journalist, medical practitioner and [[humanitarian]]. Described as a leader among men, a man of great integrity and honour.<ref name=":0" />

==Early life and background ==
Loyola Furtado was born in Goa, in the village of Chinchinim.<ref name="archgoa_lf_house">{{cite web |title=Loyola-Furtado House-Chinchini |url=http://www.archgoa.org/loyala%20futardo/main.htm |accessdate=23 May 2009 |publisher=Houses of Goa Museum}}</ref> He was born into one of the prominent families of Goa, the Loyolas of [[Orlim]]. His great-grandfather, José Inácio de Loyola was a fierce patriot, much before the mainstream Goa freedom struggle and the founder of ''[[Partido Indiano]]''.<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar"/>

His father, Dr. Miguel de Loyola Furtado, was also an eminent doctor. Loyola Furtado was also an activist who edited the "''A India Portuguesa''" .<ref name="archgoa.org">http://www.archgoa.org/loyala%20futardo/main.htm</ref> His elder brother, [[Mario de Loyola Furtado]], was the icon behind Goa's oldest publication the "''A India Portuguesa''" and is considered a legal luminary amongst Goan lawyers from the Portuguese era.

==Education==
After completing his primary schooling, Loyola Furtado admitted in Rachol Seminary. He moved to [[Bangalore]] for further studies and then passed Inter-Science with distinction from St. Aloysius College. He obtained his medical degree from Madras Medical College in 1941.<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar">{{cite web|url=http://thestateofgoa.blogspot.com/|title=THE STATE OF GOA |last=COLACO|first=Dr FRANCISCO C|author2=Xanno Moidecar |date=22 August 2006|accessdate=23 May 2009}}</ref>

==Role in World War II==
Loyola Furtado also served in the [[Indian Medical Service]] under the [[South East Asia Command]] during [[World War II]]. He was a Captain for four years in Nira and [[Chittagong]], Bengal<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=[Goanet] Dr Alvaro Loyola Furtado.... A Diamond amongst the pearls of Chinchinim Village |url=https://www.mail-archive.com/goanet@lists.goanet.org/msg141767.html |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=www.mail-archive.com}}</ref> He was awarded the [[Burma Star|Burma campaign medal]], [[Long Service Medal (India)|Long Service Medal]] and [[War Medal 1939–1945|War Medal]] for his meritorious service.<ref name="archgoa_lf_house"/>

==Philanthropy==
After World War II, Loyola Furtado returned to his native village and started his medical practice. He served the poor and the rich without distinction, often waking up at unearthly hours.<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar"/> He was actively involved in the Tuberculosis Control Programme and was awarded the title, "Chief of '''Ordem dos Médicos da Índia Portuguesa"''.<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar"/> Loyola Furtado was concerned about the decline of the [[Comunidades]] and in 1961 he wrote a paper advocating its continuance. As a member of the Goa legislature he moved various resolutions that covered Goan rural life.<ref name="archgoa_lf_house"/>

==Mayor of Salsette==
During Portuguese rule, Loyola Furtado was the mayor of [[Salcette|Salcete]] Municipality for two years where he worked [[pro-bono]].<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar"/> He resigned as he felt that the Portuguese Administration hurt nationalist feelings.<ref name="archgoa_lf_house"/>

==Instituto Vasco da Gama==
At the [[Instituto Vasco da Gama]], he wrote articles that led the Governor General [[Manuel António Vassalo e Silva|Vassalo e Silva]] to reinstate to the comunidades full ownership rights and abolish rents (''foro''). Later, he resigned from the Instituto in protest against the Governor's interference in cultural institutions. The Portuguese administration had marked him as a member of the Margao Group of Autonomists and anti-Salazarists.<ref name="archgoa_lf_house"/>

==Scholar==
Loyola Furtado spoke fluent English, [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Konkani language|Konkani]] and [[Latin language|Latin]]. He wrote various papers, mostly in Portuguese. ''Os Primordios de Inprensa e do Jornalismo em Goa e no Resto da índia'' was an essay on the history of printing and journalism in India. ''O Diréito de Propriedade Rústica nas Comunidades Aldeanas'' was a treatise on the Communidades (Ganvkaar) system in Goa and an advocacy of its continuance.<ref name="archgoa_lf_house"/>

==Role in Goa's Liberation Movement==
Loyola Furtado was a Goan patriot. He advocated [[autonomy]] for the [[Portuguese India|Portuguese colonies in India]]. When India's independence was declared, the movement for Goa's freedom gained momentum. In July 1946, he took part in a public meeting that openly petitioned the [[António de Oliveira Salazar|Salazar]] administration to grant autonomy to the [[Estado da India]]. The meeting was presided by his grandfather, José Inácio de Loyola. Laxmikant Bhembre proposed a committee to pursue autonomy. Loyola Furtado was one of the members of this committee. However their efforts did not move Salazar.

==Political career==
Loyola Furtado was a founding member of the [[United Goans Party]] headed by [[Dr. Jack de Sequeira]]. He successfully brought about the merger of four political parties that formed the UGP. He was also a member of the "''Congresso Provincial de Goa''" and also a member of the delegation that met Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], to apprise him of the aspirations of Goans, for a [[Goa Opinion Poll|separate political identity]].<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar"/>

In the first [[Goa, Daman and Diu]] Assembly elections, Loyola Furtado contested from [[Navelim Assembly constituency]] on the United Goans Party ticket and won. He led a revolt against the party president, Dr. Jack de Sequeira in 1967 on the issue of the [[Goa Opinion Poll]] and formed a splinter group that came to be known after him as [[United Goans Party|United Goans Party (Furtado Group)]]. The remaining members came to be known as [[United Goans Party|United Goans Party (Sequiera Group)]].<ref name="prabhudesai_defectors">{{cite web|url=http://www.goanews.com/defect.htm |title=Goa has 'glorious' history of defections ! |last=Prabhudesai |first=Sandesh |date=29 November 1999 |publisher=Goanews.com |accessdate=22 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820210849/http://www.goanews.com/defect.htm |archivedate=20 August 2008 }}</ref>

The assembly had been dissolved prior to the Opinion Poll to ensure a free and fair referendum. In the following election, the Furtado Group contested in six constituencies. They lost all seats.<ref name="prabhudesai_defectors"/>

==Death==
Loyola Furtado died on 23 August 1981. His funeral at [[Chinchinim]] was attended by thousands of villagers, patients, medical professionals and politicians.<ref name="Xanno_Moidecar"/><ref name=":1" />

==Legacy==
In recognition of his contribution, the locals of Chinchinim have admiringly named the main road from St Sebastian's Chapel, Chinchinim, to the Assolna bridge in his honour.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Alvaro-de-Loyola-Furtado-Remembering-a-Goan-patriot/articleshow/35489597.cms|title=Goan patriot: Alvaro de Loyola Furtado: Remembering a Goan patriot | Goa News - Times of India|website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

==Remembrance==
[[Teotonio R de Souza|Teotonio de Souza]] published a work '' "A Scholar's Discovery of Goa", Alvaro de Loyola Furtado: A Tribute from his Fellow Citizens'' in 1982 as a tribute to Loyola Furtado.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Souza |first=Teotonio R. De |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wy9qBd8u0M0C&dq=alvaro+de+loyola+furtado&pg=PA169 |title=Goa to Me |date=1994 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7022-504-1 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[United Goans Party]]
*[[Goa Opinion Poll]]
*[[Dr. Jack de Sequeira]]
*[[List of Indian Medical Service officers]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.archgoa.org/loyala%20futardo/main.htm A description of Alvaro de Loyola Furtado's ancestral house and family history.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loyola Furtado, Alvaro De}}
[[Category:Medical doctors from Goa]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Madras Medical College alumni]]
[[Category:Indian Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:Goa, Daman and Diu MLAs 1963–1967]]
[[Category:Indian Medical Service officers]]
[[Category:United Goans Party politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian medical doctors]]

Alvaro de Loyola Furtado - Revision history

Bot at 04:46, 22 November 2022