Operation Vijay: Remembering Goa’s Freedom Fighters

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AS Goa is slowly marching towards three important events – the five hundred years of Portuguese colonisation (1510-2010), the centenary of Portuguese republic and the age of Goa’s awakening (1910-2010) and the golden jubilee of liberation of Goa, Daman and Diu (1961-2011), the society needs to engage in appropriate, positive and democratic discourse to understand their implications.

When I had begun an argument with the late poet Dr Manhoharrai Sardessai over certain issues in Goa’s history, he had remarked – ‘We can’t ask questions to history’. That’s true because even today it is difficult to believe that the Portuguese could control half a million Goans with a miniscule army of less than ten thousand at any given time. But despite internal corruption and moral decay, they were master strategists, excellent organisers and superb diplomats.

The young generation of Goa needs to be given an objective picture of our freedom struggle and the events, which led to India’s military action in Goa – codenamed ‘Operation Vijay’. The new book by a self-taught scholar of Indo-Portuguese history, Mr Shrikant Ramani seems to be a project in that direction. Titled ‘Operation Vijay – the ultimate solution’, the low priced, hard bound 400 pages book superbly illustrated with rare military maps, archival documents and photographs needs to be on the shelf of all educated Goans who love their motherland. It complements Mr Vasco Pinhos’ second volume of ‘Snapshots of Indo-Portuguese history’ (2007), which chronicles the rise and demise of ‘estado da India’.

The author, Mr Ramani does not claim the book to be original. In his short patriotic preface he says – “This book dwells on in brief about the different phases of liberation initiatives after independence and the decision to launch Operation Vijay as the ultimate solution. I have used the material available in Indian as well as Portuguese books and records. I have literally reproduced words and complete sentences from these books. My aim has been, as far as possible, to give a complete picture of the events that occurred almost half a century ago. Certainly this book is not a historical fiction.”

Although it took the Indian state 14 years after independence, to find the ‘ultimate solution’, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia had lit the flame of freedom struggle on June 18, 1946. Then Tristao Braganza da Cunha carried it forward. After these events Goa really entered the national political agenda. Mr Ramani quotes the letter written by Mahatma Gandhi to the Portuguese governor, Dr Jose Bossa on August 11, 1946. This letter needs to be translated in Konkani and Marathi, framed and displayed in all the schools of Goa for our students to read so that they understand the vision and greatness of Mahatma Gandhi. Mr Ramani has dedicated the first eight chapters to chronicle the developments leading to ‘Operation Vijay’. The ultimate aim of the Salzarist government in Portugal was to have a ‘scorched earth’ policy. That would have led to innumerable civilian casualties. Mr Ramani provides exhaustive military operational details, which shed light on the swiftness of the action that thwarted the enemy’s plans.

Operation Vijay was a fine example of the secular credentials of the Indian army. The names of officers point to a pan Indian representation. This lesson needs to be driven home considering the growing communalisation of Indian and Goan society. The Indian army needs to be our model. It has risen above petty parochial, communal and casteist divisions in the country. Field marshal Maneskshaw – a Parsi could lead the forces in this country so also a son of Goa – a Roman Catholic, Major General Suneeth Rodrigues, presently the Governor of Punjab. The rich documentation provided by Mr Ramani is the need of the hour. The technical aspects of the book and the reference to internal military communications – show the complexity of the operations and the calculated risk that India took before the UN Security Council could interfere.

Goa had come close to be liberated in 1668 when the great Maratha warrior King Chattrapati Shivaji had attacked Goa, then in 1683 when Chatrrapati Sambhaji knocked on the gates of the city of Old Goa. The Peshwas would have easily captured Goa in May 1739 after their success in Vasai (Bassein). In connivance with Tipu Sultan the brave Goan masterminds of ‘Pinto’s revolt’ could have succeeded in August 1787. The peshwas and the leaders of Pintos’ revolution both were betrayed by their own people. If the Goan revolutionaries were to succeed then two years before the French revolution, Goa would have carved a special place for itself by establishing the first People’s Republic in Asia.

The French left India amicably, on a good note and continued their long lasting friendship with our people. The British too left India after encouraging partition of the country. But the Portuguese continued to resort to novel diplomatic techniques and also joined the geopolitics of cold war by accepting NATO membership. Mr Ramani’s book chronicles India’s peaceful efforts to persuade Portugal to end its’ rule over the colonies.

On February 27, 1950, the Indian government had asked the Portuguese government to start negotiations for the transfer of Indian territories under Portuguese administration. The Portuguese did not yield even an inch. On the contrary, they launched a reign of terror against the freedom fighters. The developments from 1950-60 were critical in building the Indian resolve to use force when everything else had failed. If ‘Operation Vijay’ were not to be launched then the Salazarist strategy would have succeeded. But the military action checkmated his plans. Mr Ramani impressively analyses the failure of Salazarist strategy before concluding the book.

‘Operation Vijay’ was also necessary to send a message of solidarity to the freedom fighters in Africa. As Mr Ramani has written – ‘Salazar did not believe that a young state just recently emerging out from British custody, over and above led by a disciple of Gandhi and his policy of non-violence, would dare to challenge the opposition of USA and Britain and attack an old ally of the latter and a member of NATO. Operation Vijay was a glorious moment in the history of the Indian army. It was one of the swiftest military operations after Second World War with 40 thousand soldiers liberating Goa, Daman and Diu in just 40 hours. This would not have been possible without the support of freedom loving Indians. Today Goa and Portugal are partners in democratic development. India has cordial relations with Portugal. The Portuguese also freed themselves from the dictatorial regime in 1974. Mr Ramani’s book would also help them to appreciate the value of nationalism, democracy, unity and integration. We may not ask questions to history – but at least we can find some answers about our own historic shortcomings and mistakes if we read books like Operation Vijay– The Ultimate Solution’.