Suzzana Arundhati Roy loves to cast Hindus as the casteist forces of oppression. Thus, no one is suprised at Suzzana Arundhati Roy’s latest twist on Indian history to suit her narrative. In her latest media byte, she paints the liberation of Goa as a Hindu upper-caste atrocity against Portuguese Christians.
Unfortunately for her, nothing could be further from the truth. Goa’s liberation was not suppression, but salvation. After 451 years of brutal Portuguese colonialism marked by temple destruction, forced conversions, the horrors of the Inquisition, and the denial of basic rights. India helped Goa’s people finally breathe the air of freedom on December 19, 1961.
Goa and the Horror of Portuguese Rule
In 1510, Goa became the first Indian land seized by Europeans. Unfortunately, it was the last land freed in 1961. For 450 years, the Portuguese ruled through terror.
- Temple Destruction & Cultural Erasure: In 1541, the Portuguese government enacted an order called the “Rigour of Mercy” or Rigor de Misericordia. The aim of this order was to destroy Hindu identity of Goa. Over 600 temples were destroyed in the “Old Conquests” of Tiswadi, Bardez, and Salcete. Even the ancient Saptakoteshwar temple, patron deity of the Kadambas, was torn down.
- The Goa Inquisition: Initiated in 1560 at the request of Francis Xavier, the Goa Inquisition was one of the most brutal in the world. Hindus were tortured, their limbs stretched, women’s breasts cut off, and thousands burned alive. Orphans were seized and baptized against their will. This is how an unmerciful church broke the spirit of Goan Hindus!
- Systematic Conversions: For decades, Hindus were denied government jobs. All marriages had to be registered in churches. Hindu festivals, such as Diwali and Holi, were banned. The goal was clear – erase Goa’s Hindu soul and supplant the Christian ideology by any means.
- Sexual Violence as Policy: Afonso de Albuquerque openly encouraged Portuguese soldiers to rape Hindu women to breed a new “mixed race” population that would be loyal to Portugal. Thus, marking the darkest chapters of Goa’s persecution at the hands of its Portuguese occupiers.
These facts show that “prosperous Christian Goa”, as Arundhati Roy romanticizes, was a nightmare to all Hindus, irrespective of caste. The Portuguese were a colonial fascist force that almost destroyed the Hindu legacy of Goa!
The Resistance That Arundhati Roy Erases
Far from being Arundhati Roy’s “happy Portuguese Christians,” Goans resisted at every stage.
- Cuncolim Revolt (1583): Villagers fought missionaries, destroying temples, killing priests and soldiers. In revenge, the Portuguese treacherously executed 16 chieftains at Assolna fort.
- Maratha Interventions: Chhatrapati Shivaji rebuilt the Saptakoteshwar temple in 1668. Sambhaji Maharaj nearly forced a Portuguese surrender at the Juve fort in 1683. Maratha vigilance restrained Portuguese excesses in later centuries.
- 20th Century Freedom Fighters: Activists like T.B. Cunha, Ram Manohar Lohia, and the Azad Gomantak Dal kept the flame of Goan resistance alive. They used guerrilla raids and armed struggle, while satyagrahis courted arrest, demanding freedom.
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli (1954): Indian nationalists ousted the Portuguese there, raising the tricolor and inspiring Goans to do the same. This shows that the people of Goa wanted freedom from their Portuguese occupiers.
Every revolt, every satyagraha proved one truth: Goa was always an inseparable part of India.
Operation Vijay: Liberation, Not Annexation
Despite India’s independence in 1947, Portugal stubbornly refused to leave. While independent India found its feet, for 14 years, Goans continued to suffer Portuguese suppression. It was only in December 1961 that India finally acted.
- A Tri-Service Assault: 30,000 Indian troops, supported by Navy and Air Force, overwhelmed the 3,500 Portuguese soldiers. These soldiers from all castes and creeds. The rescued Goans belonged to all religions.
- Quick and Decisive: In less than 36 hours, Governor-General Antonio de Oliveira Salazar surrendered. The struggle resulted in the death of 22 Indian and 1 Portuguese soldier.
- Celebration, Not Suppression: Goans welcomed the Indian Army with flowers, songs, and tears of joy. Far from an “atrocity” as painted by Arundhati Roy, the Goan Liberation Movement ended centuries of tyranny.
Hence, 19th December 1961 is marked not as a day of annexation by the Goan governments. Instead, it is marked as the day Goa returned to its civilizational home.
Roy’s Poison vs Goa’s Truth
Arundhati Roy’s propaganda follows a tired pattern: portray every integration of Indian states as “oppression.” She ignores the facts of colonial brutality, demonizes Indian nationalism, and whitewashes European crimes. She is a firm leftist to whom a united India is an alien concept.
Arundhato Roy’s narrative erases Goan martyrs, freedom fighters, and the very real suffering under Portuguese rule.
Therefore, Goa’s liberation was not about “upper caste Hindus” versus “Portuguese Christians.” Instead, it was about people reclaiming dignity after 450 years of slavery. It was about ending forced conversions, inquisitions, and colonial arrogance.
The Real Legacy of Liberation
Today, Goa thrives as India’s smallest state with one of the highest literacy rates and per capita incomes. Its temples, churches, and festivals coexist in harmony. The official language of Goa is Konkani. Thereby, preserving the cultural identity of the region. The liberation gave the Goans:
- Self-rule after centuries of foreign domination.
- Cultural revival, with temples and traditions returning.
- Democratic voice, with representation in Parliament from 1987.
This is the truth Arundhati Roy cannot digest: Goa was freed from invading Christian forces, not conquered by Hindu Nationalists.
Her false claims on the Goa Liberation Movement are akin to spitting on the graves of those who resisted the Inquisition, who died in the Cuncolim revolt, and who fought in Operation Vijay.
Arundhati Roy’s hateful words are a Deep State propelled Activism!
Additionally, her job is to deny colonial truths and defy the existence of United Bharat.
