Ref : https://www.drishtiias.

com/daily-news-analysis/goa-s-liberation-
struggle

What is the History of Goa’s Freedom Movement?

 In 1510 , Goa became a Portuguese colony when Admiral

Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the forces of the sultan
of Bjiapur, Yusuf Adil Shah.
 By the turn of the twentieth century, Goa had started to
witness an upsurge of nationalist sentiment opposed to
Portugal’s colonial rule, in sync with the anti-British
nationalist movement in the rest of India.
 In 1928 Goa National Congress at the Calcutta session of
the Indian National Congress was founded .
 In 1946, the socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia led a
historic rally in Goa that gave a call for civil liberties and
freedom, and eventual integration with India, which
became a watershed moment in Goa’s freedom struggle.
 At the same time, there was a thinking that civil liberties
could not be won by peaceful methods, and a more
aggressive armed struggle was needed. This was the view
of the Azad Gomantak Dal (AGD).

 As India moved towards independence, however, it

became clear that Goa would not be free any time soon,
because of a variety of complex factors like:
o Trauma of Partition
o Experience of War with Pakistan
o India wanted to showcase itself as a peace-abiding
nation.
o Portugal being member of NATO
 These factors kept the Government of India from opening
another front in which the international community could
get involved.
 Besides, it was Mahatma Gandhi’s opinion that a lot of
groundwork was still needed in Goa to raise the
consciousness of the people, and the diverse political
voices emerging within should be brought under a
common umbrella first.
 The dichotomies within the groups fighting (Satyagraha vs
Military Action) for freedom in Goa, also led to delay in
liberation of Goa.
o The idea of satyagraha emphasised the power of
truth and the need to search for truth.
o It suggested that if the cause was true, if the
struggle was against injustice, then physical force
was not necessary to fight the oppressor.
What is the Timeline of Integration of Goa into the
Indian Union?

 Relations between India and Portugal began amicably in

1947 after India’s independence and diplomatic relations
were established in 1949.
 Bilateral relations however went into decline after 1950
over Portugal's refusal to surrender its enclaves of Goa,
Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli on India's
west coast.
 Portugal had changed its constitution in 1951 to claim
Goa not as a colonial possession, but as an overseas
province.
o The move was apparently aimed at making Goa a
part of the newly formed North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (NATO) military alliance.
o It was intended to invoke the collective security
clause of the treaty, in the event of an attack by
India.
 By 1955, the two nations had cut off diplomatic relations,
triggering a crisis which precipitated the liberation of Goa
by Indian military forces, ending Portuguese rule
over Indian enclaves in 1961.
 In 1961, after the failure of diplomatic efforts with the
Portuguese, the Indian Government launched Operation
Vijay and annexed Daman and Diu and Goa with the
Indian mainland on 19th December.

REF : https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-news-
analysis/goa-s-liberation-struggle
 GOA LIBERATION

The Indian troop reclaimed the Goan territory on Dec 19. with
little resistance and the deposed Governor General Manual
Antonio Vassalo e Silva signed the certificate of surrender thus
bringing Portuguese rule to the region to an end .

Goa Liberation day is mark of the success of ‘Operation Vijay’

undertaken by the Indian Armed Forces that liberated Goa
from the Portuguese rule.

Officially , India intervened militarily in Goa on 11 December

1961 , after it had become evident that the economic blockade
that had been in force against the colony since 1955 had not
worked and the Portuguese administration was getting
increasingly regressive .

Deployment of Portuguese Forces

The border of the Goan enclave was being defended by 3,000

armed local police personnel and customs guards equipped
with mortars and automatic weapons.

The borders of Daman and Diu were being protected by about

450 such personnel each.

For the naval defence of Goa, it was reported that there were
four frigates, each equipped with three 120- mm guns and four
multiple pompoms (automatic rapid -firing guns), which
patrolled the sea areas of all three enclaves.

When the action took place, however, it was found that only
the Afonso de Albuquerque was available for the naval defence
of Goa, the other three having sailed for Portugal earlier.

The Task Force

The Army task force required to liberate Goa

To assist the task force in its operation, General Chaudhuri

recommended the assignment of four tasks to the Navy –

first, blockade of the ports of Marmagao,Panjim and Daman

and the islands of Diu and Anjadip.

second, prevention of the removal of important stores and

equipment.

third, close support by Naval aircraft if required, and

fourth, dose support by naval guns in an emergency.

Operation Vijay : All 3 section of the Indian armed forces took

part in this operation . The Indian attack overpowered the
Portuguese 3000 members army with a force of nearly
30,000.

In 1641 , the Portuguese captured Goa from the Marathas

and since then ruled Goa. The freedom struggle of India had
its effects on a smaller scale on Goa itself .

Goans participated in Satyagraha in late 1940s. Even after

India got independence , The Portuguese refused to give up
their hold over Goa.

In November1961, Portuguese contingent based at Anjadip

Island ,of the coast of Canacona fired at the Indian merchant
Ship Sabarmati as a display of its maritime supremacy in the
region .
The above incident sparked the start of the movement to free
Goa.

On 1 December 1961, INS Trishul set the operation underway.

As per plan , the platoon was to land in 2 waves on a beach
that was 3 kms south of the main Portuguese garrison.

Just before the first wave left INS Trishul , a large white flag
of surrender was hoisted by the Portuguese on the islands
northern edge.

The first wave landed on the beach as planned uneventfully

,they swayed the white flag as a mark of peace , followed by
the second group that approached the island directly . The
Portuguese fired machine gun at them , which left bullet holes
on the Indian navy boats. A full fledged gun battle started
between Indian and Portuguese soldiers for the control of
Anjadip. The 1st group captured the garrison on the northern
ridge overlooking the town. INS Trishul opened fire on the
north western ridge .

A full fledged gun and grenade battle started between the

Indian and Portuguese soliders for control over Anjadip.

Even as the battle of Anjadip was in the progress , the Indian

Air force and Indian army was closing in on Goa

The high point of Operation Vijay was a 13 min gun battle

between the Portuguese man if war Afonso de Albuquerque
and Betwa , Beas and Cauvery .

On bring ordered to capture the Portuguese warship ,

Albuquerque was sighted , encircled and directed to surrender
in 3 minutes . After an intense gun battle , Albuquerque
hoisted white flag , turned towards the harbour and beached
at Dona Paula Beach . Thus ended the gun battle .
This was the beginning of the end of 451 years of Portuguese
rule over Goa , Daman , Diu.

However , on December 18. The Indian army came under

intense gunfire from Portuguese soldiers.

The land battle continued with INS Delhi being tasked to

support gunfire support with its 6 inch guns and open a
seawards combat front .

The next 15 mins saw , high explosive shells bombarding the

citadel and airstrip in succession till a white flag was hoisted
by the Portuguese. A landing party from INS Delhi was
dispatched and the Tricolor flag was hoisted on Old Fort.

Operation Vijay ended in less than 40 hours , with the last

Portuguese Governor –General , Antonio Vassalo e Sliva,
signing the instrument of surrender at 8:30 pm , on December
19. 1961.

The Indian armed forces acting in unison ,rightfully restored

Goa to motherland , India.