People’s opinions?
Union Minister for Shipping recently announced the setting up of a new minor port at Betul through a joint venture between the Goa Government and the Union Government. Reacting to the proposal the Goa government has said that it will take the proposal to the Cabinet and also that it will take the opinion of the people, and after which the clearance, and subsequently the work on the project will commence. The question to be asked is whether in the past the state government has ever taken the opinion of the people into consideration seriously while deciding on major projects in the state. The Mopa airport project is all set to commence despite there being opposition from several quarters in the society. The Def Expo was organized at Betul despite there being stiff opposition from the people living in the surrounding villages. The coconut tree was declassified despite opposition from citizens from across the state. With the government going against the wishes of the people on several occasions, it remains to be seen whether the opinion of the people as regards the Betul port will be taken with any degree of seriousness or if it is just an eye-wash?
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Diplomatic niceties
As the Centre proposes to set up an authority to deal with the citizenship issue vis-Ã -vis the Portuguese nationality imbroglio, it would be prudent for the authority, as a measure of diplomatic nicety with the Portuguese nation, to allow those who have registered their births and marriages in the Conservatoria dos Registos Centrais, Lisbon to be deemed Indian citizens. This is because many of them have done so only to facilitate their progeny to obtain full-fledged Portuguese passports and who have surrendered their Indian passports and are thus not eligible to contest elections or vote as their names have been deleted from the electoral rolls as per the standard procedure in force in the state. Their only means of partial redemption is by applying for the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and thus they will be governed by the laws of entitlements that are allowed by virtue of having applied for the OCI.
However, as far as those in possession of the Bilhete de Identidade or the new electronic version Cartao de Cidadao, they should be asked to reveal their status and sign an affidavit stating that they will not use it for securing employment in the European Union but will use it as a means for visa-less-free travel in the EU and that when due to expire they will not renew the same thus making their intention clear that they do not wish to obtain Portuguese citizenship. In case of possession of the Bilhete de Identidade or the Cartao de Cidadao thus the dual citizenship issue will cease on its expiry and the concession being made to those who have registered their birth only subsequently will entail a minor amendment to the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, an affirmation that diplomacy triumphs over precipitate action on the citizenship issue by India. Anyone maintaining an Assento de Nascimento (birth registration) or Assento de Casamento (marriage registration) will only confer the means of being able to convey full-fledged citizenship to those who are willing to take the step knowingly and thus face the consequences on obtaining a Portuguese passport.
Elvidio Miranda, Panaji
