Are name‑changes in Goa legitimate?

The writer is president of Goan Association North West (GANW) in Manchester.

As Goa witnesses a surge in name changes—especially individuals of other religious backgrounds adopting Christian names and surnames upon conversion—the government must urgently scrutinise this trend.

Why? Beyond the right to religious identity, data shows that name and ancestry fraud have historic links to land‑grabbing and Portuguese passport rings. In Gujarat and Goa, the police uncovered syndicates fabricating birth certificates, Aadhaar IDs, and altering names to falsely establish Portuguese descent. They reportedly charged ₹20-35 lakh per person to access visa-free entry to the EU and UK, according to media reports.

In Goa, concerns also extend to land misuse. A 622-page SIT investigation revealed forged Portuguese-era sale deeds, the listing of deceased persons as property sellers, and collusion with archives staff that facilitated illegal transfers across dozens of ancestral properties in villages such as Assagao, Calangute, and Parra.

Given the pattern of a mix of religious conversion, Christian name adoption, and systemic documentation shifts, the government needs to act decisively:

1. Enforce criminal penalties under the 2019 Goa Name & Surname Amendment Bill, which makes fraudulent name changes cognisable offences with jail time and fines.

2. Audit all name-change affidavits and public notices, particularly those citing conversion, and examine their links to Portuguese ancestry claims or recent property acquisitions.

3. Coordinate with Archives, Registrar’s and Passport authorities to cross-verify conversions against land‑transfer documents, passport filings, and genealogy.

4. Launch public awareness campaigns warning against unscrupulous agents promising passports or land deals via the “Christian‑name route.”

5. Mandate transparent genealogical proof beyond affidavit—requiring documentary lineage for Portuguese citizenship eligibility.

Ultimately, name changes should be respected but not weaponised. The government must protect Goa’s heritage and land integrity, rooted in ancestral descent and not manipulated identities or covert agendas.