Now Reading: Goa was never under British rule, liberated in 1961
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Goa was never under British rule, liberated in 1961
Goa is the only Indian state that was never a British colony. It was ruled by Portugal for over four centuries, from 1510 to 1961, and became part of India only after…
The Story in Brief
Goa is the only Indian state that was never a British colony. It was ruled by Portugal for over four centuries, from 1510 to 1961, and became part of India only after a 36-hour military operation in December 1961.
When India gained independence in 1947, Goa remained under Portuguese control despite diplomatic efforts by Jawaharlal Nehru. After a Portuguese attack on an Indian passenger vessel in November 1961, India launched Operation Vijay on December 17-18, 1961. Around 30,000 Indian troops backed by warships and air power defeated Portuguese resistance in 36 hours. Governor-General Manuel António Vassalo e Silva surrendered on December 19, 1961. Goa was a union territory before attaining statehood on May 30, 1987.
The Indian Opinion
The story of Goa's liberation is often overshadowed by the 1947 narrative, but it raises a sharp question: why did it take 14 years for India to act decisively? Nehru's initial preference for diplomacy over force appears patient, but it also let Portugal dig in. The claim that Goa was never under British rule is technically correct, but the two brief British occupations during the Napoleonic Wars complicate the picture. The real test of sovereignty was December 1961, not August 1947.
Source: timesnownews.com
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