User:Historia-mi-amor/sandbox

{{Infobox officeholder
 * name = Irene Lorenco e Barros
 * image =
 * caption =
 * birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1930}}
 * birth_place =CuncolimGoa, Portuguese India
 * residence = Betalbatim
 * death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2021|08|22|1930}}
 * death_place =Goa Medical College,Bambolim,Goa, Republic of India
 * office = Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President
 * term_start = 1980
 * term_end = 1982
 * AICC President = Indira Gandhi
 * party = Indian National Congress


 * qualification = B.A

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Irene Lorenco e Barros or Irene Barros was an Indian politician, INC loyalist and pioneer for woman politicians from the state of Goa. She was the 1st woman to be elected as a Sarpanch (equivalent to a mayor of city council) in the state of Goa, and the 1st and only woman to serve as president of the Indian National Congress- Goa. She generally used her husbands family surname.

Family and Biography
Born Irene Lorenco, In 1930, to the lorenco family of Bhiunsa-Cuncolim in erstwhile Portuguese Goa. She was the niece of Monsignor Agapito lorenco, prominent clergyman and educationalist, instrumental in setting up eductional institutes in cuncolim. Irene went on to do her B.A and would marry into the Barros(a.k.a De Barros) family of Betalbatim, originally moragardio family of Carambolim, who claim descent from Vijayanagara warlords and Bahamani/Adil Shah princes.The family was later recognized as Moca Fidalgos(Hidalgo) by royal decree 22nd March 1688 before moving to Cansaulim and Betabatim. She married Dr Leo Mackenson Barros, younger brother of Prof.Jose Fransico Simiao Barros(regis), a satyagrahi for the Goa freedom movement(one of the few aristocrats to participate), and son of (regis) D.Antonio Pedro Barros, who would go on to be referred to as Regis(meaning:of the king/king's man) due to his service to the royal government in the African colonies around Mozambique.

Entrance into politics
Dr Barros was a well known medical practitioner in his hometown as well the surrounding villages, hence Mrs Barros was already popular, and was known to help her neighborhood as many were not highly educated at that time. With the Annexation of Goa by India on December 1961, The Panchayat system and elections were setup in Goa, and Irene decided to actively enter politics despite facing objections from friends as it was considered unbefitting for a woman to involved in politics. She stood in Goa's 1st ever panchayat elections and proved to be the popular candidate.

Career
Barros was unanimously chosen to head the council and was declared Sarpanch, making her the 1st woman in Goa to hold a post of that rank. She is known to have even allowed the use of the anti-hall of the barros manor as the makeshift office and village hall during the early years while the barros family and other prominent townsfolk personally contributed to construct a building for the local government.She would go on to serve 3 terms (15years) as sarpanch and would often rely on hers and in-laws personal wealth to finance the development of the village. She strongly supported the United Goans Party candidate in the Goa's 1st state legislative assembly, her brother-in-law Prof Jose Barros's cousin, Dr Maurillo Furtardo one of main leaders of the united goans, who became the 1st MLA of Benaulim (Goa Assembly constituency). Her support for the party would come again, when she strongly voiced her support for the Goa Opinion Poll to be held, and strongly opposed the introduction of liquor laws by the MGP Party, stating that the culture that accepts women can drink was progressive(which was considered taboo in the rest of India). After the success of the Opinion poll in saving Goa's future, Barros worked for the strengthening of an almost nonexistent presence of the Indian National Congress, and became closely associated with then prime minister Indira Gandhi who appreciated her as a strong woman candidate. Barros played a major role in bringing INC into power for the 1st time, which would remain in uninterrupted power for 15 years until internal split in the party.With Congress forming the government in 1980, Barros was soon nominated as president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, with shri Pratapsingh Rane as Chief Minister of Goa. With the fall of Shashikala Kakodkar, and simultaneous governments in the Lok sabha and Goa for the 1st time, many referred to Mrs Barros during her tenure as 'The most powerful woman in Goa'. Citing her inability to control infighting amongst the congress MLAs as well as her loss of local popularity and support, Barros was relieved of her post in 1982 by Sulochana Katkar.

Later Life and Death
After being relieved as president, She served as Chairman of Goa Provedoria (Institute of Public Assistance) briefly. Much before her retirement much of the Barros family's wealth had been spent with her support for development and the fight over Goa Opinion Poll, including her brother-in-law Prof Jose Barros who's small time Iron ore Business was taken over by Chowgule Group in financial support of his cousin Dr Maurillo Furtardo, who himself was forced to sell his successful medical clinic in Karachi, to garner support against the Goa merger with Maharashtra, Prompting him to refer to his comrades and himself as Martyr Politicians. Hence Mrs Barros and her children would live and identify as part of the middle-class. After her retirement she was often asked to head and speak in multiple women empowerment groups all over Goa well into her old age. She began to shy away from public life after she lost 2 of her daughters to Breast Cancer. She was diagnosed with Covid-19 in April 2020 and was admitted at Goa medical College, but made a recovery and was discharged, but a while later, was admitted once again due to her deteriorating condition. She was shifted to the GMC ICU where special attention was given to her on request of the health minster Vishwajit Rane, son of her colleague Pratapsingh Rane. She passed away on 22nd August 2021, due to post-COVID complications of Acute Kidney Failure and Electrolyte Imbalance Barros has been cited as an inspiration for all Goan women by GPCC.