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Regional Aspirations
Describe the story of Goa’s liberation from the Portuguese to its becoming a state of the Indian Union.
(i) Goa was under colonial rule since the 16th Century. During their rule, the Portuguese suppressed the people of Goa, denied them civil rights and carried out forced religious conversions.
(ii) After independence in Goa also, there was strong movement for freedom, which was strengthened by satyagrahis from Maharastra.
(iii) In December 1961, the Indian Government sent the army which liberated Goa, Daman and Diu and it was made a Union Territory.
(iv) One section of the people of Goa desired that Goa, as a Marathi speaking area should merged with Maharashtra but many Goans were keen to retain a separate identity and culture particularly the Konkani language.
(v) The Central Government held a special opinion poll in Goa asking people to decide about their choice.
(vi) A referendum – like procedure was used. The majority of the people decided to remain separate i.e. outside Maharashtra. Thus Goa continued as Union Territory. Finally in 1987, Goa became a State.
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One of Hazarika’s songs ....... dwells on the unity theme; the seven states of north-eastern India become seven sisters born of the same mother .... ‘Meghalaya went own way ...... Arunachal too separated and Mizoram appeared in Assam’s gateway as a groom to marry another daughter,’ ......... The song ends with a determination to keep the unity of the Assamese with other smaller nationalities that are left in the present-day Assam– ‘the Karbis and the Missing brothers and sisters are our dear ones.’ —Sanjib Baruah
(a) Which unity is the poet talking about ?
(b) Why were the States of North-East created separately out of the erstwhile State of Assam ?
(c) Do you think that the same theme of unity could apply to all the regions of India ? Why ?
“Before 1947, Jammu and Kashmir was a Muslim State. Its Sikh ruler, Hari Singh, wanted to merge with Pakistan.”
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