As it is now so too in 1961 in December novenas/salves were going on in our Church to prepare ourselves spiritually for the feast of Nossa Senhora de Esperanca. Out of 9 novenas going on in the evenings from 5.30 PM to 8.00 PM, 4 were finished and then only Indian Millitary entered Goa and uprooted Portuguese from Goa on 19.12.61. During this period stories were started pouring in saying at so and so place Indian Millitary personnel raped Goan females, one was in Pilerne, the other was at Cortalim and elsewhere. Fear gripped our minds and hearts because such incidents were new to us, these incidents were un-Goan and against our culture and tradition. Our extremely pro-Bharat and extremely anti-Portuguese Pe. Vigar of our Church, Pe. Nicholau Noronha was terribly upset over this sad news and to avoid any untoward incident happening to our females while going home in the darkness after finishing the novenas, since Indian Millitary personnel were constantly passing on the road to Aguada, our Pe. Vigar stopped the novenas in the evenings and shifted in the mornings. From here one should deduce one’s conclusion that raping had taken place in Goa otherwise a Pro-Bharat Pe. Vigar of our village Candolim would not take a very negative step against the sinful acts of Indian Military. Those were the fearful days we passed especially those of us having sisters and other females at our homes.
History said the first target of the invaders or conquerors were the females of the invaded land and since India invaded Goa by force its military treated us as slaves. What disorder and sexual “hara-kiri “ victorious Indian Military personnel have not done in Bangladesh following the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan!! Though the sexual scandal have been committed by the Indian Army yet they have liberated the Bangladesh and for this reason it was called LIBERATION of Bangladesh and not Invasion or Conquest of Bangladesh. The use of the term liberation was correct because in its true sense India liberated Bangladehs i.e. East Pakistan and handed over this land to Bangladeshis, the people staying there. Bravo India up to this point. But when India uprooted Portuguese from Goan soil, why they have not given Goa into the hands of Goans only just as they did in Bangladesh and just get out of the sacred soil of Goa? Do these corrupt, cunning and crook Indians have any category and dignity to rule over us? The worst corrupt people in the world are Indians and its leadership under Congress government at the Centre is hegemonistic in nature and because it is so India brought under its umbrella by using militaryforce the states like Hyderabad, Assam and surrounding areas in the north against the wishes of the locals there. I am sure 75% of the Indians will opt for secession from Indian Union if a choice is given to them. These feelings people in India get not because they dislike India as country or a nation but because of their dislike for the corrupt leaders of India both at State level and at the National level. I feel ashamed to be the citizen of this corrupt country ruled by the most corrupt “Zopottpotti” type of leaders both from the Congress and BJP. However, if I am accepting Indian Citizenship with Indian Passport then because I have no other choice. Moreover, Indian citizenship was imposed on me by our invaders or conquerors and not by the liberators. Goa was never liberated. Earlier we were ruled by the Lisbon's Portuguese while now we are ruled by the Delhi Portugues. Both are our conquerors and both are our masters and enslaved us to them; one was white skinner and the other of my skin colour. It is because of this corrupt leaders that the image of Indian Passport holders is blackened and precisely because of this many of our people are rushing to acquire foreign passports even by paying heavy sum of money as bribe.
18th of December 1961 early in the morning near my house next to the main road of Candolim, my father went to our field to adjust the water flow for the paddy crop. While he was in the field doing some some job of adjusting the water flow, then and at that moment only the Indian Millitary convoy of heavy military vehicles started passing thru the road going to Aguada where heavy Portuguese military was stationed there. Seeing my father in the field, they stopped their convoy and called my father. Frightened, my father obliged. When the top military personnel asked my father “why you are wearing this “Cheddi” and Banyan? My father replied saying “because I am poor. For this the Indian military man from the convoy said loudly “We know Portuguez purposely kept you poor but henceforth you nor any Goan will remain poor, we are come here to drive out Portuguez and make you all Goans rich.
Like a mad man my father came running home shouting slogans like Jai Hind, Nehru Zindabad and Salazar Murdabad while the same father of mine a few minutes before while coming to our field was saying Viva Portugal, Salazar Zindabad and Nehru Murdabad. What made him to change his opinion so fast? It was nothing but Silvercoated LIES of Indian top military personnel. In fact Indians are top liars starting from Nehru as I indicate below.
“Goa-Invasion-1961.
Jawaharlal Nehru - “It is not true that we covet Goa. That small bit of territory does not make any difference to this great country India. We do not desire to impose ourselves on the people of Goa against their wishes. It is definitely their responsibility to choose for themselves. We have assured Goans that it is for them to establish their own future and I further assure them on matters such as Religion, Languages and Customs”. - 21st August 1955.”
This Nehru spoke in Parliament.
A.Veronica Fernandes.