Goa, May 31 -- Goa paid tribute to one of its most illustrious sons, Dr. Francisco Luis Gomes, on his birth anniversary, with Social Welfare Minister Subhash Phal Dessai leading the commemorations at the Dr. F.L. Gomes Memorial Trust in Navelim.

Born on May 31, 1829, in Navelim, Dr. Gomes was a brilliant polymath-physician, economist, historian, novelist, and parliamentarian. He represented Goa in the Portuguese Cortes Gerais from 1861 to 1869. A gifted scholar, he completed his medical degree by the age of 21 and went on to serve as a professor and chief surgeon at the Escola Medico-Cirurgica de Goa. Fluent in multiple European and Indian languages, he quickly rose to prominence in intellectual circles.

Dr. Gomes was a fierce advocate ...