Goa plans to felicitate PM Costa, but MGP wants apology from Portugal
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 15 January 2016 14:18 IST
Goa government is planning to felicitate Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, being a Goan by origin, though the MGP, its alliance partner, feels he should first apologise for the historical colonisation of the state.
It was a congratulatory motion moved by Congress legislator Alex Reginald Lourenco when Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar fully supported the proposal moved by his deputy Francisco D’Souza to invite him and felicitate for becoming the Portuguese prime minister.
Opposition leader Pratapsing Rane went a step ahead by suggesting to invite all such ‘original Goans’ including Keith Vaz, the MP in House of Commons, as well as others and have a joint felicitation.
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party leader and PWD minister Sudin Dhawalikar however felt that Portugal should first apologise for the historical colonisation and trying to destroy the state before leaving in 1961.
“We can’t forget the history just because the son-of-the-soil of Goa has become the PM of Portugal. I congratulate him only because he was a Goan, but that does not mean we can pardon Portugal as a country for the past”, he said.
Dhawalikar also claimed that Portugal never conquered Goa but it was handed over to the colonial rulers by the Adilshah, who was ruling Goa in 1510.
Countering the viewpoint of his partner in the ruling alliance, deputy chief minister Francisco D’Souza said what Goa faced in the history was a dictatorship while today’s Portugal is a Democratic Republic.
“By inviting and felicitating him, we need to convey a new message of a new generation and also celebrate a person of Goan origin becoming the prime minister of Portugal”, said D’Souza.
He also recalled meeting Costa personally when he was invited by him as the Mayor of Camra Municipal Lisboa three years ago along with a delegation of 100 Goans.
“Destiny has taken a revenge with one-time ruled Goan has become a ruler of Portugal today. Salazar was hated more in Portugal than in Goa and Costa carries the legacy of anti-dictatorial movement, which his poet father Orlando Costa was part of”, said independent MLA Vijai Sardesai.
While history has resulted into several Goans migrating to Portugal, he said the long links cannot be delinked so easily.
Deputy Speaker Vishnu Wagh said the circle is complete today with a Goan becoming the ruler of Portugal and all the Goans should be proud of this moment.
However, he also expressed concern over Goans taking Portuguese citizenship to take up jobs in the UK by using Portugal as a gateway and eventually the whole family gives up Indian citizenship.
“This huge amount of migration is a different kind of denationalisation and we need to ask Portugal how long they plan to continue this facility”, said Wagh.
Mr.Wagh need not worry now, its too late. Goans have left by the dozen and are still leaving. In a country with excess population it does not matter. But some soul searching needs to be done as to why they are really leaving.
I wish Costa is the PM of Goa as well, would have been no hassle to do Portuguese passports and run away from this existing hell.
BJP leave Goa alone, the idea of killing coconut trees is equivalent to killing cows.
This is so very true.....
The comment by james moraes......i truley agree with you...
Goa ministers have big mouth to speak...to promise.....but never did or took a step for the betterment of goa.
Goa Government......Do youll have jobs for our goans?????
Vacancies required are already filled in by bribe....even before it is advertised, on top people are called out for interviews and to waste their time.
Youll don't give goans to earn their daily bread.....
On top ull have big mouth to say people are taking Portuguese nationality.....
Goa Government ministers.......were ull born when the Portuguese had left goa...!!!!
Why are youll so curious about what had happened the past....U WERE NOT PRESENT ON THE DAY THE THINGS HAPPENED....
You'll have put goa for "SALE"..
TALKING ABOUT PAST....
HAVE YOU'LL PROTECTED GOA AS IT WAS IN THE PAST......IS GOA THE SAME GOA AS IT WAS IN 1947????
DO YOU'LL HAVE ANSWER TO THIS...??
You tell the goans and the world....what have youll done so far /till date for the betterment of goa....?????? There's no answer for this thats because youll have just thought of how to fill your pockets.
Before pointing out to others.....you have to see yourself first.....
Give the goans rights to goans... CAN YOU DO THAT GOA GOVERNMENT...????
YOU CAN'T.....because youll are already bribed to sell the property of goa.....
If you'll had given the goan rights to the goans.....no goan would have ever been far from goa....may it be portugal or othe countries....
Goan have to literally slog for their daily bread......
Try to think of GOA AND ITS BETTERMENT FIRST......THEN PINPOINT OTHERS....
Asking the new Prime Minister of Portugal to apologise for saving Hindu community against Adil Shah at the request of Hindu community would mean we would have Adil Shah's people ruling Goa and the Hindus would be in minority.
Why does India not ask England and France to apologise as well? When doing that ask England to remove the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London. Who said once English leaves India, the country will be run by goonies? Modern India:
The present day politicians has sold Goa to highest bidder ,the present BJP -MGP has gone upto the extent of selling our rivers,sea,hills and mountains,what portuguse has done is much acceptable than this blady anti Goans from Goa.
dhavlikar should apologise to all goans for having a soft heart corner and his wife being a member of hindu terrorist organisation sanatan sashta.He should also apologise for looting goa.
Mr. Sudin Dhawlikar - MGP has no right to demand an apology from the Prime Minister of Portugal Mr. Costa. MGP agenda to merge Goa into Maharashtra was defeated. Thanks to Mr. Jack Sequeira, Father of the Opinion Poll, that has enabled Mr. Dhawlikar to occupy the seat in the Legislative Assembly of Goa.
Portugal is one of the most beautiful places on Earth whereas Goa lying in the gutter of India.
The gutter rats of Goa will never get an apology from Portugal as Goans should be grateful to Portugal and NOT India for employment in Europe.
Mr. Vishnu Wagh , don't worry about Goans migrating to Europe and try to ask Portugal for how long this facility will continue, because you are going to make a fool out of yourself, since your government cannot provide jobs for all Goans at least let them earn their daily bread elsewhere, if I'm not mistaken you were the one to strongly push the MOI to be in Konkanni, if you can answer just one question for me then you can go ahead and question Portugal about the Migration, can you tell me if these sons of the Soil did not learn English would they have been able to migrate to Europe?
There are some misconceptions. I hate colonization but that was it. Most of the European countries colonized many other nations in Asia, Africa, South America etc. Such was the spirit of Adventure. So now, you guess whether you have benefited from it or not.
The present Portuguese regime is not responsible for the Colonization. I am not supporting Colonization. Trends are such and past cannot be undone. So MGP should shut their mouth because they are supporters of Maharashtra. So Sudin should go to Maharashtra.
I welcome the visit of the son of the soil. Great pleasure in knowing that a Goan is a Portuguese PM. Let us live in reality and not hatred. After all all Indian are thrilled a fellow Indian is holding a high post in US or an Indian is a Priime Minister of Fiji and some lesser nations. I am proud that my Goan brother is the PM of Portugal. Great honour for the Goans. Which shows that Goans can do a lot. So let MGP shut their mouths.