Dear Readers of Goanet: On the issue that Portuguese privileges afforded to Goans on basis of their birth, before conquest of Goa on 19th December, 1961 should remain and automatically flow to them and their descendents.
Laws are made to benefit people and not people are made to benefit a law. Therefore bad laws which damage the interest of the people must be struck down and discarded, just as what the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has done to Goans by accusing Goans as Portuguese national and thus seeking to accuse and possibly punish them by denying them their birth rights of both Portuguese as well as Indian citizenship. Portuguese citizenship is earned by Goans by principle of natural justice system, which arising out of been born in Portuguese India that is Goa. And the Indian citizenship is earned by us on the basis of our domicile and serving the Indian nation from December, 1961 to date. No Court of India, can step in and take away the privileges bestowed upon us because the Indian Constitution was born much after many of us were born, as in my case been born in August 1944. Hence, since the Indian Constitution came later to my birth and Goa’s conquest came later my rights being born during the Portuguese regime must be protected by us Goans fighting for our rights. Netaji Subash Chandra Bose said gives me blood and I will give freedom. So I plead upon Goans to fight for their Dual Citizenship rights and give blood if possible to acquire justice for themselves and generation to come. Although we know fully well that treaty was signed in India on 31st December , 1974 between Y.B. Chavan on behalf of Govt of India and Mario Soares Minister for External Affairs for the Govt of Portugal which was ratified in Lisbon on 3rd June 1975. This should not be applicable to us. Stephen Dias, D.Paula =================================================================