The Annexation of Goa was the process in which the Republic of India annexed the Portuguese State of India, the then Portuguese Indian territories of Goa, Daman and Diu, starting with the armed action carried out by the Indian Armed Forces in December 1961. In India, this action is referred to as the "Liberation of Goa". In Portugal, it is referred to as the "Invasion of Goa". Jawaharlal Nehru had hoped that the popular movement in Goa and the pressure of world public opinion would force the Portuguese Goan authorities to grant it independence, but without success; consequently, Krishna Menon suggested taking Goa by force.[6][7]
The operation was code named Operation Vijay (meaning "Victory" in Sanskrit) by the Indian Armed Forces. It involved air, sea and land strikes for over 36 hours, and was a decisive victory for India, ending 451 years of rule by Portugal over its remaining exclaves in India. The engagement lasted two days, and twenty-two Indians and thirty Portuguese were killed in the fighting.[2] The brief conflict drew a mixture of worldwide praise and condemnation. In India, the action was seen as a liberation of historically Indian territory, while Portugal viewed it as an aggression against its national soil and citizens. Justifying the successful military action, Nehru remarked that the "Portuguese ultimately left no choice open to us."[8][9]
Following the end of Portuguese rule in 1961, Goa was placed under military administration headed by Kunhiraman Palat Candeth as lieutenant governor.[10] On 8 June 1962, military rule was replaced by civilian government when the Lieutenant Governor nominated an informal Consultative Council of 29 nominated members to assist him in the administration of the territory.[11]
- ^ Azaredo, Carlos; Gabriel Figueiredo (translation) (8 December 2001). "Passage to India – 18th December 1961". Goancauses.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d Praval, Major K.C. (2009). Indian Army after Independence. New Delhi: Lancer. p. 214. ISBN 978-1-935501-10-7.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
areamilitar.netwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Liberation of Goa: 1961". Archived from the original on 20 November 2013.
- ^ Castanheira, José Pedro (8 December 2001). "Passagem para a Índia" [Passage to India]. Revista. Expresso (in Portuguese) (Paço d'Arcos). Archived from the original on 8 December 2001. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
- ^ Faleiro, Valmiki (24 July 2023). Goa, 1961: The Complete Story of Nationalism and Integration. Penguin Random House India Private Limited. ISBN 978-93-5708-175-7.
- ^ Davar, Praveen (January 2018). "The liberation of Goa". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ Rubinoff, A.G. (1998). The Construction of a Political Community: Integration and Identity in Goa. SAGE Publications. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7619-9259-2.
- ^ Ohajunwa, E. (1992). India-US Security Relations, 1947-1990. Chanakya Publications. p. 50. ISBN 978-81-7001-090-6.
- ^ "Obituary of Lt-Gen K. P. Candeth". Independent.co.uk. 10 July 2003. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
- ^ "Infrastructure | Goa Legislative Assembly". Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2018.