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A new way to smother Goan Catholics

Goa's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government justifies its plans to prohibit dual citizenship
A new way to smother Goan Catholics

A band practices ahead of the feast of Our Lady of Pilar Oct. 12 in Goa, a former Portuguese colony in India. Some groups now accuse Hindu nationalists of acting to erase the Catholic identity of the state. (Photo by Bosco de Souza Eremita)

Published: October 26, 2016 05:11 AM GMT
Updated: October 26, 2016 10:43 AM GMT

The soul of Goa is in its last throes.

Over 50 years after India annexed the former Portuguese colony, the government has woken up to the reality that some Goans enjoy dual Portuguese and Indian nationality. To put a stop to this, the government plans to de-franchise dual citizens, rendering them foreigners.

Such an act would directly impact at least 27,000 voters, most of them Catholic — the size of an average electoral constituency. If dropped from the electoral role, these people would technically become non-Indians. Erasing such a number of voters in a state with a population of just 1.4 million would dramatically affect the results of the next state polls in 2017.

Goa's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government justifies its plans by pointing to the Indian constitution's prohibition of dual citizenship. In fact, the BJP has long sought a way to dilute Catholic influence in Goan politics. It is about to realize that dream.

Catholic influence in Goa has been declining for centuries as Catholic Goans emigrate to greener pastures. This trend received a fillip in the early 1990s when the Portuguese government offered citizenship to Goans who were born before Dec. 19, 1961 and whose births were registered in Lisbon. The offer also included their descendants for three generations. The cut off date was the day that India annexed Goa through military action, ending the 451 year-long colonial relationship between Portugal and Goa.

Portugal's offer of nationality helped Goans access the European Union. Catholics have been using the Portuguese route to immigrate to Europe, predominantly the United Kingdom. This flow has intensified in recent years, boosted by the emergence of the BJP as a political force with an aversion towards religious minorities such as Christians. Emigrants also cite increasing sectarian intimidation, lawlessness, job scarcity and inflation as factors in their decision to leave.

The move to de-franchise dual citizens has roots in the 2002 state elections. Two Catholic legislators faced a legal battle when political rivals sought their disqualification on the basis of their Portuguese nationality. The ensuing discussion exposed thousands of Goans who had discreetly applied for Portuguese passports. Among them were progressive Hindus and the kin of politicians.

As the controversy grew, the BJP government said it would examine the prospect of a dual citizenship-type arrangement, but maintained the status quo on the issue lest it upset its political applecart in Goa. Now, with the legislature's term nearing its end in 2017, the Election Commission of India has declared that dual-citizenship does not exist in India, and that therefore Portuguese passport holders are no longer entitled to vote.

However, Constitutional experts opine that it would be illegal to delete names from the electoral rolls without serving notice.

Lawyer Radharao Gracias argues that the Indian Constitution does permit Goans to have dual nationality. The Constitution (Article 9) says anyone that "voluntarily acquires citizenship of any other country is no longer an Indian citizen." But that is only for acquired citizenship, Gracias argues. "We have acquired nothing. We have been citizens of Portugal before we became Indian citizens," he said.

Meanwhile, rights campaigners like Eurico Mascarenhas maintain that following its annexation of Goa, the Indian government forced its own laws, customs and traditions on Goa's inhabitants. This, Mascarenhas argues, is in total violation of the rights of Goa's people according to international norms and U.N. resolutions.

Because of faulty government policies, Goa and its Catholics are fighting for survival. This is in marked contrast to another former Portuguese colony, Macau which was once under Goa's jurisprudence. Though smaller in size, Macau is now one of the richest regions in the world.

Amidst all this, the Archdiocese of Goa has failed to speak. It should have acted to reverse the trends that have led to the current situation. Evidently, slurs against Catholics that accuse them of being pro-Portuguese and anti-patriotic have silenced the Catholic hierarchy. The larger groups of lay people too lack leadership, and have therefore lost their voice, and their ability to defend the rights of its community in Goa.

This is indeed good news for right-wing Hindu nationalists, who foresee the loss of Catholic identity in Goa in the near future.

Bosco de Sousa Eremita is a journalist who researches the issues of immigration and changing demographics in Goa, his homeland.

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