Neil
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PANAJI: After 50 years, one tends to think that the Portuguese colonial power kept itself busy elsewhere after Goa was liberated from its rule by the Indian army. But the colonizers nursed dreams of recapturing the tiny coastal Indian region for several years, even bombing Goa twice under the Indian union.
"Portugal used the Emissona Nacional, the Portuguese national radio station for a propaganda against India and Indians. It was run under the pretence that Goans would feel out of place after liberation as they were used to listening to the station. Portugal hoped that the world would understand 'the truth' about Goa and react against the Indian union," librarian at the Goa Central Library, Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues said, speaking at a session at Goa University's international conference 'Goa: 1961 and Beyond' on Sunday.
She said the station was being used to transmit news of Goans refusing to co-operate with the government of India. "The idea for the need to create a committee of Goan resistance against the Indian rule was floated and Antonia Roldao de Souza was chosen to head it. His job was to put together well-known Goans to be part of the committee. Goans were told not to organize any resistance in the open but work on the sly," Rodrigues said, focusing on excerpts from books that record the post-liberation scenario. She said Goans were asked to infiltrate the most important positions in the Indian administration to seek information on the happenings within the government.
"Goans were told to write 'GR', which stands for Goan Resistance, everywhere. They wanted to give nightmares to the Indian administration by drawing this sign of struggle everywhere. A group for the resistance was also being organized in Bombay because of the large number of Goans residing there," Rodrigues said.
She said Goans were even encouraged to create clandestine resistance movements with the sole purpose of supporting and intensifying the separatist movements in India like those by the Sikhs, Kashmiris, Nagas, Hyderabadis, etc. so that they in turn support the Portuguese in recapturing Goa.
"This campaign had the full support of the Portuguese government with the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, army, navy and finance involved. After 1961, India was wholly absorbed by the grave difficulties resulting from the conflict with China and the Portuguese felt it was the right time to attack and that if they delayed they would never have a better chance," Rodrigues said.
A grand plan was chalked out called the 'Plano Gralha' covering Goa, Daman and Diu, with which the Portuguese colonizers wanted to assure Goans after liberation that they have not been abandoned by their former rulers.
"It was decided to paralyze the port operations at Mormugao and Bombay by planting bombs in some of the ships anchored at the ports. But there were also instructions to extend attacks to other parts of India whenever possible and major projects like the Bakra Nangal dam was one of the targets. It was decided to use Kuwait as a link to bring the explosives into Goa," Rodrigues said.
June to November was thought to be a good time to attack as there is no navigation during the period and finally an attack on Goa was launched on June 20, 1964.
"Bombs were also planted at Vasco Municipal School in March, 1962, and at another location in October the same year. This was done to create panic among the people. Investigations later said that there was a possibility that the attackers came by plane to Murud in Bombay. The explosives are said to have been personally prepared by one of the attackers, Casmiro Monteiro," Rodrigues said. The attacks might have not done for Portugal what it had expected but it did not prevent the colonial power from trying to blame the attacks on India to portray it in bad light. "The Portuguese government, in an official statement to the United Nations, later said that the attacks were preplanned acts of revolt and dissatisfaction of people with Indian rule," she said.
:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
"Portugal used the Emissona Nacional, the Portuguese national radio station for a propaganda against India and Indians. It was run under the pretence that Goans would feel out of place after liberation as they were used to listening to the station. Portugal hoped that the world would understand 'the truth' about Goa and react against the Indian union," librarian at the Goa Central Library, Maria de Lourdes Bravo da Costa Rodrigues said, speaking at a session at Goa University's international conference 'Goa: 1961 and Beyond' on Sunday.
She said the station was being used to transmit news of Goans refusing to co-operate with the government of India. "The idea for the need to create a committee of Goan resistance against the Indian rule was floated and Antonia Roldao de Souza was chosen to head it. His job was to put together well-known Goans to be part of the committee. Goans were told not to organize any resistance in the open but work on the sly," Rodrigues said, focusing on excerpts from books that record the post-liberation scenario. She said Goans were asked to infiltrate the most important positions in the Indian administration to seek information on the happenings within the government.
"Goans were told to write 'GR', which stands for Goan Resistance, everywhere. They wanted to give nightmares to the Indian administration by drawing this sign of struggle everywhere. A group for the resistance was also being organized in Bombay because of the large number of Goans residing there," Rodrigues said.
She said Goans were even encouraged to create clandestine resistance movements with the sole purpose of supporting and intensifying the separatist movements in India like those by the Sikhs, Kashmiris, Nagas, Hyderabadis, etc. so that they in turn support the Portuguese in recapturing Goa.
"This campaign had the full support of the Portuguese government with the ministries of defense, foreign affairs, army, navy and finance involved. After 1961, India was wholly absorbed by the grave difficulties resulting from the conflict with China and the Portuguese felt it was the right time to attack and that if they delayed they would never have a better chance," Rodrigues said.
A grand plan was chalked out called the 'Plano Gralha' covering Goa, Daman and Diu, with which the Portuguese colonizers wanted to assure Goans after liberation that they have not been abandoned by their former rulers.
"It was decided to paralyze the port operations at Mormugao and Bombay by planting bombs in some of the ships anchored at the ports. But there were also instructions to extend attacks to other parts of India whenever possible and major projects like the Bakra Nangal dam was one of the targets. It was decided to use Kuwait as a link to bring the explosives into Goa," Rodrigues said.
June to November was thought to be a good time to attack as there is no navigation during the period and finally an attack on Goa was launched on June 20, 1964.
"Bombs were also planted at Vasco Municipal School in March, 1962, and at another location in October the same year. This was done to create panic among the people. Investigations later said that there was a possibility that the attackers came by plane to Murud in Bombay. The explosives are said to have been personally prepared by one of the attackers, Casmiro Monteiro," Rodrigues said. The attacks might have not done for Portugal what it had expected but it did not prevent the colonial power from trying to blame the attacks on India to portray it in bad light. "The Portuguese government, in an official statement to the United Nations, later said that the attacks were preplanned acts of revolt and dissatisfaction of people with Indian rule," she said.
:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
