We need to really thank Rajiv Gandhi for bestowing statehood on Goa and also hardworking MP Shantaram Naik was behind the follow up for statehood with PM Rajiv Gandhi and bore fruit only when Rajiv Gandhi told Naik to place the matter before the Parliament which he did and was approved by most of the members and the Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The only technical issue was that of dual language and there was agitation by Marathi supporters to make two languages as official languages of the state of Goa which was technically not feasible as Marathi was already the official language of Maharashtra. There was a proposal they should merge with Maharashtra and Goa would be one district of Maharashtra and not a State with 40 MLAs. This was rejected earlier by the opinion poll led by Jack Sequeira hence the Marathi supporters back tracked and asked for Marathi usage for official purposes and only than statehood was bestowed on Goa and the credit should go to the Congress Party and Rajiv Gandhi as the prime minister of the country as he fulfilled the assurance given to Goans of statehood.
