Goa party condemns Minister calling Goans, Portuguese siblings

The Goa Suraksha Manch, a regional political party, has condemned state PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar's recent comment referring to Goans and Portuguese as "brothers and sisters".

Atmaram Gaonkar, whose Manch had allied with the Dhavalikar's Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party in the run-up to the 2017 state assemblye elections, said the comment by Dhavalikar did not take into account harsh colonial practices of Portuguese rulers for four centuries.

"Dhavalikar has said that relationship of Goa and Portugal is like brother and sister. Portuguese ruled Goa for about 450 years and harassed the people during that period. They had imposed the Inquisition rule on innocent people which was the most dangerous rule in the wourld. Portugal should apologise to the people of Goa," Gaonkar said.

On Thursday, Dhavalikar, whose ministry has signed an MoU with the Portuguese Environment Ministry in the areas of water and sewage management, had said: "I have never said that we will never accept something from Portugal or give them something. After all we are brothers and sisters right from the beginning and we are still the same today".

Goa was ruled by Portuguese colonists for 451 years until the state was liberated in 1961 by the Indian armed forces.

--IANS

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