On 18th December 1961, the Indian Army invaded Portuguese India and the Portuguese forces in the territories commanded by Governor General Vassalo e Silva surrendered, violating strict orders from Salazar to resist until the last man. Salazar wanted Portuguese Indians to feel that Portugal did not abandoned them and provided laws to keep them as Portuguese Citizens. Many Goans left Goa at that time and were welcomed in Portugal. This helped Portugal to take the case to the United Nations. Portugal kept fighting diplomatically in the United Nations for Portuguese India until 1974. Only in 1975, Dr. Mario Soares, representing a new Democratic Portugal, recognised the annexation of Goa, Damão and Diu and re-opened diplomatic relations with the Republic of India.
It is important to say that after 1975, the "Antigo Estado da India" (Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Avelí before 19 December 1961) was given somehow a special status under the Portuguese Nationality Law. Decreto-Lei n. 308-A/1975, 24th June - "Lei da Nacionalidade Portuguesa" – Article 1º. Clause (e), clearly says that all those born in the "Antigo Estado da India"(Goa, Damão, Diu e Dadrá e Nagar Avelí before 19 December 1961) who declare their intention to retain their Portuguese Nationality are entitled to do so. Other ex-Portuguese colonies’ citizens were given a period of time to decide if they wanted to remain as Portuguese citizens or if they wanted to adopt the nationality of the new independent countries (examples: Angola, Mozambique, etc). The citizens from Antigo Estado da India, on the other hand, were not given a period of time to decide if they wanted to continue being Portuguese citizens, which means that they are still entitled to declare they want to continue being Portuguese Citizens today.
complete article at http://cyberatlantis.com/library/citizenship/EU/portugal/PortNatLaw.htm
Free help for goans to make a portuguese passport
http://www.squidoo.com/portuguesepassportforgoans
Goans pursing Portuguese passport
http://goacom.blogspot.com/search/label/Portuguese%20passport
Thursday, January 28, 2010
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