Becomes second Goan to receive citizenship under CAA
Chief minister Pramod Sawant handed over citizenship certificate to Shane Sebastian Pereira in presence of his family on Tuesday.
PANAJI
Karachi-born 43-year-old Shane Sabastian Pereira, on Tuesday, obtained Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, making him the second such person from the coastal state to gain citizenship rights.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant handed over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Pakistani Christian under the Act. Before him, in August, Joseph Francis Pereira, another Pakistani citizen, was granted Indian citizenship.
Shane, originally from Demello Wado in Anjuna, North Goa, had been tirelessly pursuing Indian citizenship for the past 11 years. However, the introduction of the CAA expedited the process, enabling him to secure his citizenship within a mere three months.
Born in August 1981, Shane entered India—Goa—in December 1981, four months after his birth, following his family’s return to the state, where he completed his schooling. He married Maria Gloria Fernandes, an Indian citizen, in 2012.
Speaking to media persons, Shane said his attempts to obtain Indian citizenship over the years had been unsuccessful. He said that he even married an Indian citizen, thinking that would help, but that didn’t work out either. After marriage, he said he surrendered his Pakistani citizenship.
“Finally, inspired by Joseph (Pereira), I applied again for citizenship,” he said, while maintaining that he had Pakistan citizenship while living in Goa.
The certificate mentions that Shane is registered as a citizen of India under the provisions of section 6B, fulfilling the conditions under section 5(1)(c) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, with effect from the date of his entry into India.
“I am feeling very nice about getting Indian citizenship after waiting for almost 43 long years. Now I can work in India, as I could not work earlier, and I am feeling happy. CAA helped me in getting citizenship.”
Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, the Chief Minister addressed concerns raised by the opposition and sections of the media, questioning how the CAA would benefit Goans.
“Shane is the second Goan to receive this certificate, and many others have applied, with their applications currently under process,” he said, adding that the CAA will benefit many Goans.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s decision to implement the Act would help Hindus, Christians, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Sikhs stranded in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
