The Goa government will organize at least one event in every Indian state capital to celebrate the 60th anniversary year of the liberation of Goa from colonial Portuguese yoke, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Friday.
Sawant said that the Goa government had sought Rs 100 crore from the Centre to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the state’s liberation by the Indian armed forces on December 19, 1961.
“We will be celebrating the 60th anniversary year of Goa’s Liberation in a grand way. We will be holding a minimum of one event in every state capital to commemorate the year by organizing events that showcase our culture, food, literature, etc,” Sawant told reporters at a press conference in Panaji. Goa was a Portuguese colony for 451 years before the region was liberated by the Indian armed forces in 1961.
Sawant said that an organizing committee to finalize and oversee preparations for the 60th-anniversary celebrations had already been formed and he as the Chief Minister, would be heading the committee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would also be formally invited to attend one of the commemorative events, Sawant added.
The year-long celebrations would also be used to broad-base Goa’s tourism offerings by highlighting various lesser-known facets of the state before potential tourists.
“People come for sun, sand, and sea. We want people to come to Goa for hinterland tourism, our culture, temples, and churches,” Sawant said.
