Goa Liberation Day is observed on December 19 every year in India. The occasion marks the day Indian armed forces freed Goa in 1961 following 450 years of Portuguese rule.
On the occasion of Goa Liberation Day, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind took to Twitter to commemorate the day, writing, "On Goa Liberation Day, we pay homage to the martyrs who gave their all in the struggle to free Goa from colonial rule. We salute the valiant efforts of the Indian Armed Forces. My best wishes to the people of this beautiful state for a bright and prosperous future."
On Goa Liberation Day, we pay homage to the martyrs who gave their all in the struggle to free Goa from colonial rule. We salute the valiant efforts of the Indian Armed Forces. My best wishes to the people of this beautiful state for a bright and prosperous future.— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 19, 2019
According to the Indian Navy website, on December 19, the Indian Armed Forces, liberated the state from the Portuguese and the deposed Governor General of Portugal in India, Manuel Antonio Vassalo e-Silva surrendered to the then Chief od Army Staff general Pran Nath Thapar.
The website further revealed, “The War Memorial at Indian Naval Ship Gomantak was constructed in memory of seven young gallant sailors and other personnel who laid down their lives on 19 Dec 1961 in the “Operation Vijay” undertaken by the Indian Navy for liberation of Anjadiv Island and Territories of Goa, Daman and Diu."
The Portuguese colonised several parts of India in 1510 but by the end of the 19th century Portuguese colonies in India were limited to Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra, Nagar Haveli and Anjediva Island. The Goa liberation movement, which sought to end Portuguese colonial rule in Goa, started off with small scale revolts, but reached its peak between 1940 to 1960, ending when India invaded Goa in 1961.
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