Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday stated that it was due to immense pressures from the freedom fighters that then central government had to take up Operation Vijay and liberate Goa from Portuguese rule in the year 1961.
Speaking on the occasion of Goa Revolution Day, Sawant also said that had Goa been liberated along with India, then we would not have missed three finance commissions and state’s progress would have been much fast paced.
He recalled that Goa was liberated 14 years after India’s Independence.
Sawant was addressing the gathering after laying wreath on Martyrs’ memorial at Azad Maidan in Panaji in presence of Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik, freedom fighters and others.
On 18 June 1946, the great nationalist and freedom fighter, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, who fought valiantly against British rule, arrived in Goa and gave the call for freedom from colonial rule.
“India got freedom from British rule but Goa continued to be reeling under Portuguese power for next 14 years. If we had to be liberated along with India, the pace of development would have been much faster,” he said.
Sawant pointed out that Goa missed first three financial commissions due to which the state lacked development during initial years. “It was only after immense pressure from the freedom fighters that then central government had to resort to Operation Vijay,” he said.
The chief minister said that the state has witnessed massive human and infrastructure since last 10 years after double engine government came to power in the centre and in Goa.
