(in Listening Post, Navhind Times, ed. 28/12/2004) THE CITIZENSHIP ISSUE
This has reference to the article appeared in the Panorama section of the NT edition dated November 7, 2004, captioned "window on Pondicherry" penned by Mr. K N R Swamy. As we all know Pondicherry was a French colony till 1954. During the reign, France ceded the control of the colony to India and in 1962 complete legal and constitutional transfer to Indian Union took place. But to safeguard the interests of the residents of the colony, French government offered them French citizenship. But only 6,000 of them opted for French citizenship. Today these six thousand people, have become a privileged lot enjoying hefty pension perks and other benefits as admissible to metropolitan French citizens, even enjoying voting rights in French elections. This is naturally causing severe heartburns, to those who squandered this golden opportunity, and are ruing for their lots as put in your columns. This naturally brings to my mind the sorry plight of Goans who forcibly had to accept the Indian citizenship much against the will consequent on liberation of Goa. Taking a dispassionate view of the political situation preceding to military action in 1961, the withdrawal of Portuguese appeared imminent. They had withdrawn all the fighting forces leaving behind skeleton not of forces. All the political prisoners were freed, all the coercive measures were abolished establishing rule of law. Drastic pay reforms were introduced benefiting lowest layer of bureaucracy which consisted of a sizeable number of Hindus. Due to boom in mining industry, government coffers were overflowing, and the Government used this revenue in creating employment, improving health and education. To cap all this, the important posts in administration, which were so far reserved only for Europeans were open to local population. General perception that the Portuguese administration till now accused of partisan attitude was completely changed, and real secularism was the order of the day; these revolutionary changes in the mindset of the Portuguese administration was certainly a prelude to autonomy and subsequently withdrawal of the Portuguese rule. The Indian government which was hell-bent in taking army action, did not take kindly to at this dramatic political developments, started a media war and suddenly rushed its army, to the surprise and utter dismay of Goans. No doubt the end of Portuguese rule was inevitable but what irks Goans today that due to military action they were denied the rights of choosing Portuguese or Indian citizenship unlike then counterparts in Pondicherry. GOVIND MUDROTO, Santa Cruz