On 19 December 1961, the people of Goa looked towards the sky, baffled at the downpour. Leaflets were raining down. Each bore a message: ‘Rejoice! Rejoice! Brothers and sisters. Goa is free after 450 years.’ 

The news rained down from a plane carrying two messengers of freedom: Libia Lobo Sardesai and Vaman Sardesai, who would later marry each other. Both played instrumental roles in Goa’s liberation movement, which sought to free the state from Portuguese rule after India gained independence in 1947. 

I observe Libia while she retells this riveting tale; it’s almost as if it were just yesterday that she’d flown over Goa in that plane. Neither time nor age has tarnished that memory in the slightest. 

I must admit, securing this interview was akin to finding the treasure at the end of a 20-month-long hunt. It began the day I stumbled upon a feature about the luminary in Vogue. I then began scouting for anyone who could put me in touch with her, eventually chancing upon someone who knew someone who knew one of Libia’s grandnieces. She put me in touch with the legend herself. Before I knew it, I was taking a trip to Goa to meet Libia. 

It’s not every day that you meet a centenarian. It’s definitely not every day that you meet one who has been integral to shaping a state’s identity. 

Libia Lobo Sardesai’s story

Condensing decades' worth of history into a one-hour story is no mean feat. 

And I half expect Libia’s recounting to be sporadic, but no. She’s like a history book, with the chronology intact, and each one of her stories makes for a great page-turner. 

The only details she grows hazy about are the accolades. As she tells me, the awards and recognition have continued to pour in over the years, but she has never been one to keep count. 

But even when she does forget to mention a win or two, the walls and shelves of her home oblige. I gaze around and take in pictures of Vaman and Libia being awarded the Padma Shri, which Vaman was awarded in 1992 and Libia in 2025. There are also gallantry medals by the Indian Army and Navy, certificates, invitations to address events, and several other awards.

But the biggest recognition of all sits right across from the home, emblazoned on the wall of a building — a giant mural by street artist Solomon Souza. It’s a younger version of the 102-year-old standing in front of me. Though the two look strikingly different, they share the same unmistakable sprightliness. And as we stand on the balcony, hugged by the Goa breeze, Libia begins her tale.

“I was schooling in Bombay (now Mumbai) when the freedom struggle was on. Even though I was just 12 years old at the time, I watched patriots die for their country. The visuals are still clear in my mind: hordes of people dressed in white and khaki, walking alongside Gandhiji from Chowpatty to Dhobi Talao, shouting slogans of ‘Jai Hind’ (Long Live India) and ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ (Long Live the Revolution). We’d watch as the police commissioners would come on horseback and trample upon them. They would fall and get wounded and die. These visuals stuck in my mind; they were like........

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