The launch of the Global Goan Association in the capital city on Wednesday, at first, appeared to be the perfect platform to bring clarity on the contentious issue of Goans seeking European citizenship via the Portuguese passport route. One expected, and held a hope, of understanding the government's mind given the gravity of the issue.
However, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar steered away from the issue exhibiting diplomacy and stating that the matter is before the Central government and that the State government is collaborating for a resolution. Sawaikar stated that the matter is not within the domain of the State government and stressed the need for a solution within the legal and policy framework. At the end of it all, there were no takeaways and all people got to understand was that it remains a work in progress, just the way it was a good ten years back.
Dual nationality is undoubtedly a complex subject, and there is no denying that the ball is in the Centre’s court because it would require a Constitutional amendment and a policy change. It is going to be a long-drawn uncertain process. However, the false hopes raised by the political class, time and again, make it look like a cosmic fall from the Centre.
Goa is bracing for something terrible now. What Sawant and Sawaikar must understand is that addressing dual citizenship is not the immediate concern. Goans are worried over the revocation of their passports on grounds of their births being registered in Portugal leaving them in the middle of nowhere. A person with a revoked passport cannot proceed with Portuguese citizenship or apply for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status. What is needed of the State government is to intervene and impress upon the Centre to recall the circular and stall the revocation process, and instead allow Goans the room to surrender their Indian passports. Indian passports can be surrendered once the Portuguese passport is availed or after the OCI formalities are complete.
The revocation of an Indian passport would most likely be an issue at the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and, from the guarded responses of Sawant and Sawaikar, it is obvious that the State government is treading a cautious path not to hurt sentiment and also ensuring they don't overstep. Past assurances have fallen flat. If we may recall, former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had stated in November 2014 that the Union Home Ministry had assured to work out a solution by taking legal advice within two months.
Dual citizenship became the poll plank in the 2019 Lok Sabha election with the then Aam Aadmi Party candidate for the south Goa seat Elvis Gomes assuring the electorate to take up the issue for the people of Goa.
The BJP may be on a sticky wicket this time because on one side the CM and the NRI Commissioner sound positive, but on the other side, the party president and Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Tanavade is stoutly opposing dual citizenship. “One cannot have citizenship of two countries, one has to be here or there”, he had thundered recently.
The issue has been hanging fire for decades and the reluctance of governments to deep dive into it is as clear as daylight. Assurances have been hollow, and primarily aimed to quell electoral undercurrents. It is to be seen which path citizenship takes along the long road to Lok Sabha elections.
