MARGAO
A group of citizens under the banner of Goans for Goa has given a call to the people to join the “Goans for OCI”, to express their solidarity with fellow Goans affected by what they termed as “unwarranted” revocation of the Indian passports, thus denying them the OCI status.
Addressing the media at the Lohia Maidan, convenor of Goans for Goa Kennedy Afonso said the interactive session will take place on January 9, at Azad Maidan, Panaji at 10 am coinciding with the Pravasi Bharti Diwas commemorating the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South Africa and the launching of OCI for overseas Indian citizens by former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
He said the interactive session will offer opportunity for fellow Goans to share their ideas how to go about protecting the rights of the people whose passports are being revoked by citing the November 2022 circular issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Kennedy feared that the 2022 circular issued by the MEA will affect Goans who surrender their Indian passports to apply for the OCI status. “Earlier, people were allowed to surrender their passports after imposing a penalty. Now, their Indian passports are being revoked, thus denying them the OCI status,” he said.
He added: “People who have been staying abroad for over half a century avail the OCI status by citing their names of the parents and grandparents. Goans, who are staying in India, and who have their parents and houses in the State, cannot apply for the OCI status since their passports are revoked since they have registered their births in Portugal.”
Saying the issue needs to be discussed and deliberated upon in order to evolve a solution, Kennedy feared that the door which has been shut for people seeking OCI status will remain shut forever if a solution is not worked out immediately.
“I had a meeting with NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar and he has assured to resolve the issue amicably. I have sought an appointment with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to discuss the issue and work out a solution,” he said.
Reminding that the Indian government had come out with the OCI status in order to connect the people of Indian origin back to their roots, Kennedy said the 2022 MEA circular threatens to forever disconnect the roots of Goans from the State.
Activists Anthony D’Silva, Joseph Sequeira, Bevinda Goes and others made a fervent plea to the people of Goa to assemble at the Azad Maidan, Panaji on January 9 to show their solidarity with the Goans traumatised by the 2022 MEA circular.
