Context: December 19 is celebrated every year as Goa Liberation Day, to commemorate Goa, Daman, and Diu’s independence from Portuguese rule in 1961.

Goa Liberation Day

• Aim: The day marks the independence of Goa from the Portuguese, who had ruled the territory since 1505.
• Significance of Goa’s Liberation
  • Goa’s Integration into the Indian Union: Despite India gaining independence in 1947, Goa was still under foreign rule. The liberation of Goa, along with Daman and Diu, marks their successful integration with India.
  • Celebrate the Bravery of the Indian Armed Forces: The Indian government carried out a military operation called Operation Vijay to liberate Goa from Portuguese rule. This day celebrates the successful military operation.
  • End of European Rule: The Portuguese were the first Europeans to rule India and they were the last to depart as well. The Goa Liberation Day marks the end of European rule in India.
  • Celebrate Local Resistance: The Goa Liberation Day also celebrates the resistance of local Goans against Portuguese rule. The movement was supported by national leaders such as Dr Ram Manohar Lohia.

Portuguese Rule in India

• European Footprint: The Portuguese were the first Europeans to enter India and the last to leave. They were the pioneers of European sea trade with India.
  • Vasco de Gama was the first Portuguese to land in India in 1498 when his ship São Gabriel landed on the shores of Calicut in Kerala.
• Fortification: The first fort of the Portuguese was built in Cochin in 1503 during the rule of Francisco Almeida. A second fort came up in Cannanore.
• Battle of Diu: The Portuguese defeated a combined fleet of Egyptian, Arab, and Zamorin in the battle of Diu, establishing them as a powerful sea force.
• The capture of Goa: In 1510, the Portuguese led by Alfonso Albuquerque defeated Bijapur Sultan to capture Goa. The territory became the capital of the Portuguese empire in the east.
• Handover of Bombay: The port of Bombay, which was a harbour of Portuguese India as Bom Bahia, was handed over as dowry of Catherine de Braganza to Charles II of England in 1661. 
• Christianization in Goa: After 1510, Goa’s indigenous population underwent a large-scale conversion to Roman Catholicism. Many converts were enticed with jobs, lands, and Portuguese citizenship.
• Inquisition: The Goa Inquisition was set up when Francis Xavier requested it from King Joao III of Portugal. Its goal was to enforce Catholic Orthodoxy and allegiance to the Christian faith.
  • The focus of the Inquisition was mainly on the New Christians accused of secretly practicing their former religions, and also the protestants.  

Continue Reading: Portuguese in India (1505-1961)

Anti-Portuguese Movement in Goa

• Beginning: There was a section among Goans who were against Portuguese rule. They wanted to rule Goa. However, the majority of these revolts failed due to non-support from the majority of Goans.
• Conspiracy of the Pintos: The first such movement to overthrow Portuguese rule was the Conspiracy of the Pintos in 1787, which unsuccessfully attempted to replace Portuguese rule by Tipu Sultan.
• Civil Liberties Movement:
  • After the Portuguese monarchy was abolished in 1910, there was a hope that the colonies would be granted self-determination. However, the colonial policies remained unchanged.
  • As part of the anti-colonial movement, Luís de Menezes Bragança founded O Heraldo, the first Portuguese language newspaper in Goa, which was critical of Portuguese colonial rule.
  • To control discontent, the Portuguese administration implemented reactionary policies, including censorship of the Press. Only pro-colonial material was approved.
  • Bragança organized a rally in Margao denouncing the law and, due to this, the Goans received the same rights as mainland Portuguese for some duration.
  • However, the Portuguese Catholic Church strongly supported pro-colonial policies and tried to influence Goan Christians to oppose the independence movement.
  • As the independence movement started growing, Portugal passed the “Acto Colonial” (Colonial Act), which restricted political rallies and meetings within all Portuguese colonies. 

Goa Liberation Movement

• Background: Portuguese rule in Goa began in 1510 when Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the ruling Bijapur Sultan with the help of a local ally Timayya.
  • Only for a brief period between 1812 and 1815 when the British occupied Goa, Portuguese ruled Goa continuously.
  • They had regular fights with the Maratha Empire, which pushed back the Portuguese. Despite all the troubles, the Portuguese held on to Goa, their proud possession in the East.
• Goan Independence Movement: The anti-Portuguese movement in Goa was in sync with anti–British sentiments in the rest of the country.
  • Tristão de Bragança Cunha, known as the father of Goan nationalism, set up the Goa National Congress at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress in 1928.
  • The watershed moment was in 1946 when socialist leader Dr Ram Manohar Lohia led a historic rally in Goa that gave a call for civil liberties and freedom, and eventual integration with India.
• Non-Success: However, the movement could not capture the attention of the Indian government, which was busy handling the post-independence transition. 
  • In addition, Mahatma Gandhi was of the opinion that a lot of groundwork was still needed in Goa to raise the consciousness of the people and bring them under a common umbrella.
• Post-Indian Independence: On August 15, 1947, India gained independence from British rule. The power was transferred to the people, and thus started India’s post-independence journey.
  • There was a significant amount of discontent among the Goans against Portuguese rule. Even when India gained independence, the Portuguese refused to leave the territory citing culturally and religiously distinct identity of Goans.
  • In 1949, Portugal joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), thus joining the US-led Western axis. By extension, Goa too became part of the anti-Soviet alliance.
  • Indian leadership feared that a military action against Portuguese-Goa could attract a collective Western response. It decided to stress on diplomatic channels.
• Simmering Discontent in Goa: During a satyagraha movement in Goa, the Portuguese fired on the volunteers. India was critical of the action and snapped ties with Portugal.
  • With India championing Non-Aligned Movement, decolonization, and anti-imperialism, the continuation of Portuguese imperialism in Goa seemed increasingly difficult.
• Operation Vijay: After failure of peaceful negotiations, the Indian government declared that Goa should join India “either with full peace or with full use of force.
  • Military troops were stationed along the Goan border. On December 18 and 19, 1961, a full-fledged Military Operation, codenamed Operation Vijay, was carried out.
  • With very little resistance, the Governor-general of Portuguese India, Manuel António Vassalo e Silva, signed an instrument of surrender.

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