GOA'S LIBERATION IN RETROSPECT
By: Adv. Antonio Lobo
[COUNTERPOINT]
Herald: 30 December, 2012
[MANY TEARS WERE SHED IN PRIVATE, NOT SO MUCH FOR THE DEPARTURE OF THE
PORTUGUESE BUT FOR THE SUBSTITUTION OF NEW CHAINS IN PLACE OF THE OLD]
The moment the Indian Army took Goa, the first step taken by the military
government was to impose martial law and put in place a curfew. Nothing of
this kind had ever been promulgated in Goa during the entire period of one
of the world's most, dictatorial administrations that of Antonio de Oliveira
Salazar, which extended for close to 40 years. Such imposition puts in
question the very term 'LIBERATION" freely used to define the happenings
post December 19,1961, which by its very definition should have been
received by the local population with open arms. That the 'liberation army'
under Gen. KP Kandeth thought it fit to put in place such draconian
measures indicates that none of this took place. Photographs of the said
period showing crowds as welcoming the Indian troops do not reflect the
ground reality at the time.
This period also saw the establishment of an administration which was placed
under the control of a hand-picked civil servant, albeit unofficially, who
was attached to the government of Goa and who orchestrated public
demonstrations in support of the invasion. The persecution of identified
individuals (and any other upstanding individual belonging to the earlier
administration) such as that of the Advocate General of Goa Dr. Jose'
Quadros, a Goan by birth, who was pulled out of his house late one evening
by a mob of about 50 people at the height of the curfew and paraded in his
underclothes through the streets of Panjim accompanied by fist blows and
forced to shout 'JAI HIND' while being watched impassively by the police is
a classic pointer to what happened during the period. The elimination of
the High Court of Goa (Tribunal de Relacao de Goa) whose Chief justice, Dr.
Ismael Gracias, another Goan, was forced to migrate to Portugal, where he
was given a new posting is another example. The aforementioned civil
servant personally threatened several Goans including the Secretary General
of Goa ( a position equivalent to that of the Chief Secretary) Dr. Abel
Colaco: he was told he would be court-martialed merely because he had
given shelter on humane grounds to the wife of Brig. Manuel Antonio Vassalo
e Silva, the last Governor General of Goa, after her husband had been
interned by the Indian Army. She had to abandon the Pala'cio do Cabo (now
Cabo Raj Niwas) for obvious reasons and had nowhere to go. This same
individual was responsible for terrorizing not only civil servants but also
the population of Goa, especially Catholics who were also exposed to the
taunts and mishehavior of organized groups from the majority community. They
instigated and encouraged mobs to carry out attacks multiple times on the
printing press of a Portuguese language newspaper due to its criticism of
the happenings of the time, which was forced to shut down the newspaper on
April 15 1961 and flee to Portugal.
Such actions were definitely responsible for effectively silencing a great
section of Goans. Thus, protests were nipped in the bud. In contrast
however, many tears were shed in private, not so much for the departure of
the Portuguese but for the substitution of news chains in place of the old.
Except for a few individuals such as late Dr. A.A. Bruto da Coasta, who
despite his early blindness, wrote a protest letter accusing late Jawaharlal
Nehru of betraying and trampling upon the very principles enunciated by him
along with Chow En Lai of China and termed as "Panch Shila", two of which
were non aggression and peaceful co-existence amongst nations.
The bitter irony for Goans is that most of the things bandied about, against
the Portuguese regime had taken place during the dictatorial period and
which was also applicable to Continental Portugal itself. It was not
something meant only for the colonies as is projected in propaganda. One of
the benefits of the so-called liberation, we were informed and are still
being informed by 'OPINION MAKERS", is that Goa was now part of a
democracy and that people were free to speak their mind.
A few weeks prior to the invasion, thousands of Goans left for Portugal in
fear of what might befall Goa and themselves post annexation. That this
exodus continued even after December 19,1961 and the route for such exodus
was via Karach, Pakistan, were the Portuguese Government had organized
flights to ferry Goans and other citizens from the erstwhile Estado
Portuguez da India free of cost, was evidence enough that the so called
liberation of Goa did not result in giving Goans a sense of freedom,
satisfaction and fulfillment. This exodus continues today with thousands of
Goans migrating to Canada, Australia, New Zealand , U K, Portugal and other
countries. Should it not be said, with greater reason, that Goans are now
protesting with their feet? This should have been an eye opener for India
and a sufficient reason to introspect on the causes for such migration
involving disposal of their immovable properties and other assets and
choosing a foreign country to settle in, abandoning their 'LIBERATED" Goa.
The so-called freedom fighters some of whom, excluding some honourable
exceptions, could oly carry out acts of vandalism at various times with the
blessings of the military Government earlier as well as of the subsequent
governments.
To their eternal shame, these freedom fighters expected and got a prize for
their efforts, by way of pensions and their ranks kept increasing year after
year by addition of persons who had nothing to do with any kind of struggle
and were further swollen by those who happened to be in prison for crimes
unrelated to anything remotely related to Portuguese colonialism. These
people were generally rejected by the people of Goa in the elections.
Curiously, nobody talks or writes about the fact that the dictatorial regime
in Portugal came to an end after a short regime of 13 years- April 25, 1974
and thereafter Portugal not only attained independence but democracy too.
This is conveniently not mentioned. Neither has the reason for the
government of India under Jawaharlal Nehru and Krishna Menon not according
the people of the erstwhile Estado Portugues da India the right to self
determination enshrined in the United Nations Charter and owed to colony
which, according to the Charter of United Nations to which India was a
signatory, was a country not self administered, being a colony and which,
for that reason, had the right of deciding whether it wanted to merge with a
neighbouring country, whether it wanted to be associated with it or whether
it wanted to be independent. Such choice could be decided only by a
referendum. All this was FORGOTTEN.
COMMENTS:
The Civil Administrator who wreaked havoc with bonafide Goans during the
Martial Law in 1961-62 is G. K. Handoo.
Goa would have been either attaining total Independence or full fledged
AUTONOMY if India had not invaded Goa, and when Portugal divested all her
colonies in 1974. Goa could be better off than Pondichery etc. which is
still a French territory with Pondicherians even voting in France's
elections as it's bonafide citizens. But Nehru and Krishna Menon had other
ideas and therefore the invasion against UN Norms. Most of Goa's freedom
fighters were India's paid mob members. And Portugal would not need to sign
the co-operation treaty with India in 1974-5. Portugal still needs to
apologize to Goans for not taking them into confidence prior to the signing
of this treaty.
The two of Goa's freedom fighters that need to be publicly STONED for being
Goa's most lumpun TRAITORS are Flavian Dias and Naguesh Karmali.
I was fourteen years old at the time of this so called liberation. I as
young as I was, I never felt liberated. I did not go to Mapusa to welcome
the Indian troops while many of my age flocked. I still recall one of my
Hindu neighbours ( who is still alive ) saying: Khuim guelo toh Forsulo?
(meaning St. Francis Xavier) . Atam amchean khuicheim Christavamchem ghor
apanachem korum'eta. As a fourteen year old kid, I had challenged him and
told him that I would 'knife' him. He still remembers this.
Thank you Adv. Antonio Lobo for this treat. Young Goans will yet learn what
they should be learning from the history books in schools and who are
brainwashed by the Neo-Colonist India and it's Goan CHAMCHAS parading as
patriots and who are no better than the roadside vandals.
Goa Liberated? Nooooo! Give us total 'Special Status' under Article 371 of
your Constitution and then we Goans will feel better. And remember... YOU
HAVE NO CHOICE.
Cheers
floriano
goasuraj
9890470896
[email protected]
www.goasu-raj.org
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Goa Su-Raj Party strongly believes that Parliamentary Elections must be
contested by National Parties only AND/OR by a Federation of State
Regional Parties.
with a reciprocating understanding by the National Parties that the 'State
Elections' shall be the prerogative of State Registered Political Parties
only. Even then, and in the absence of such a ruling by the Election
Commission of India, GSRP would want GOANS who are ERUDITE,
knowledgeable about India and its problems, as well as World affairs,
'STATESMEN/WOMEN' , to contest on it's 'TICKET' in the coming 2014
Parliamentary Elections. Let GOA endeavour to send two real Parliamentarians
to the House of the People in New Delhi for once.
