Every year, Goa Liberation Day is celebrated to mark our freedom from Portuguese rule in 1961. Flags are hoisted, speeches are made, and patriotism is displayed with great enthusiasm. The Portuguese may have left Goa, but Portuguese passports did not. For many Goans, the Portuguese passport became more than just a document. It opened doors to employment, dignity of work, and stable incomes across Europe and the UK. It offered mobility, security, and opportunity”things that Goa itself has increasingly failed to provide. For Goa as a state, overseas Goans played a significant economic role. Remittances sent home sustained families, fuelled consumer spending, and kept the local monetary ecosystem alive. Liberation Day, unfortunately, has been reduced to a token celebration by corrupt politicians”used as a shield to continue nefarious practices rather than as a reminder of responsibility. Instead of building a better Goa, we are witnessing unchecked construction, unnecessary and poorly planned tourist attractions, rising road accidents, increasing crimes against women, and frequent house burglaries. True liberation is freedom from corruption, misgovernance, and fear. Until that is addressed, Goa Liberation Day will remain a celebration of the past”while the present quietly slips away.
