President Droupadi Murmu tweeted her greetings to the nation on December 19, marking Goa Liberation Day.
The day is celebrated annually to mark the success of ‘Operation Vijay’ undertaken by the Indian armed forces to defeat Portuguese colonial forces and liberate Goa in 1961.
“On Goa Liberation Day, I convey my greetings to all fellow citizens, especially the people of Goa.
We pay homage to the freedom fighters who fought for liberation of Goa from colonial rule.
We salute our armed forces for their valour. My best wishes to the people of the state,” Murmu tweeted.
The Portuguese colonial presence in Goa began in 1510, when Afonso de Albuquerque defeated the ruling Bijapur king with the help of a local ally, Timayya,
and subsequently established a permanent settlement in Velha Goa (or Old Goa).
Over the following centuries, the Portuguese fought frequent battles with the Marathas and the Deccan sultanates. During the Napoleonic Wars,
Goa was briefly occupied by the British between 1812 and 1815. In 1843, the capital was moved to Panjim from Velha Goa.