UPSC Exam Preparation: This Day in History – Dec 18 - Annexation of Goa

18 December 1961

Annexation of Goa.

What happened?

On 18 December 1961, the Indian government took military action against the Portuguese rule in Goa culminating in the liberation of Goa and its merger with the Indian Union. Read more about this incident for the IAS exam

• Portugal conquered Goa in 1510 and made it a colony.
• When India became free of British colonial rule in 1947, Portugal did not take Britain’s example and relinquish its possessions in the subcontinent.
• The Portuguese colonies in India were a bunch of conclaves including the districts of Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
• A pioneer in the 20^th century Goan resistance to colonial rule was Goan engineer Tristão de Bragança Cunha who started the Goa Congress Committee in 1928.
• The Goan movement was supported by Indian independence leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
• In 1950, the Indian government, in a bid to start diplomatic measures to free Goa, asked the Portuguese government to start negotiations for the independence of Goa. However, Portugal refused saying that Goa and its other Indian possessions were not colonies but an integral part of metropolitan Portugal; and also that since the Indian republic had not existed when Goa became a part of Portugal, it had no right to ask for Goa’s merger.
• In 1953, the Indian diplomatic mission in Lisbon (capital of Portugal) was withdrawn.
• By 1954, India imposed travel restrictions between India and Goa which impeded transport from Goa and other Portugal enclaves which were wholly within Indian Territory.
• Economic blockades were also imposed on the Portuguese colonies.
• In 1955, about 3000 unarmed Indian civilians tried to enter Goa. But they were rebuffed by Portuguese police officers and around 30 civilians were killed. That year, Indian consul office in Goa was shut down. There was also a huge outcry among the Indian people against Portuguese continuance in Goa.
• By this time, India was seriously contemplating military action against Portuguese presence in Goa.
• On 24 November 1961, a passenger boat plying between Anjidiv Island (held by Portugal) and Kochi was fired at by Portuguese authorities and this resulted in one death.
• Dadra and Nagar Haveli was annexed by India in 1954 with the support of the United Front of Goans, the Azad Gomantak Dal and the National Movement Liberation Organisation.
• The Portuguese Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar decided to resist Indian “invasion” despite being advised against it.
• Goa was then ruled by Governor General Vassalo e Silva. Silva was asked by Salazar to hold the fort for 8 days by which time it was hoped to gain international pressure against India.
• In early December 1961, Portuguese civilians were being evacuated from Goa.
• Even though hostilities started a few days earlier, the official Goa liberation began on 18^th December with the 50th Para Brigade of the Indian Army moving into Goa in three columns.
• The commander of the Indian forces was Major-General K.P. Candeth. The operation was codenamed “Operation Vijay”.
• Portuguese resistance was feeble as it was heavily outnumbered.
• Indian forces attacked several places and freed political prisoners kept by the Portuguese.
• Concurrently, air raids and naval battles were also conducted. Daman and Diu also saw military action.
• Portugal appealed to the UN Security Council for a debate on Goa on 18^th December. India’s delegate said that the “elimination of the last vestiges of colonialism in India” was an “article of faith” for the Indian people. He also said that Goa was an inalienable part of India that had been illegally occupied by Portugal.
• The Portuguese President called for a scorched earth policy, which meant that Goa should be destroyed before it was to be given up.
• But the Governor General Silva decided to surrender to the Indian forces considering his forces’ inferior position. The formal surrender was made on 19^th December 1961 ending 451 years of Portuguese rule over Goa.
• After the fall of Goa, Lisbon terminated all diplomatic relations with India and refused to recognise the incorporation of its former possessions into the Indian republic.
• Only in 1974 did Portugal recognise Goa as a part of India and resume diplomatic relations.
• Although many countries supported India’s right to annex Goa, some others, protested against India’s use of military force, the right of colonised nations to be free notwithstanding.
• The USSR had steadfastly supported India in this matter and also vetoed a resolution condemning the Indian invasion in the UN Security Council.

Also on this day

1952: Death of Surendranath Dasgupta, eminent scholar of Sanskrit and Philosophy.

See previous ‘This Day in History’ here.

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