Shantaram bats for Goans in a fix over citizenship

PANAJI: Rajya Sabha member, Shantaram Naik, introduced a private member’s bill in Parliament on Friday with the objective of protecting the interests of Goans who have registered their births in Portugal besides being Indian citizens.
Naik sought amendment to Section 9 of the Citizenship Act thereby helping those Goans who registered their births in Portugal hoping that it will help them to go to Europe freely besides getting easy access to foreign universities. Their intention was not to renounce their Indian citizenship, he mentioned in the bill.Many Goans born in Estado da Índia (Goa, Daman and Diu) before December 19, 1961, and in Dadra and Nagar Haveli prior to August 21, 1954 and who had their births registered in the civil registration offices of these territories have been extended a facility by the Portuguese government to register their births in Portugal.
If the amendment is okayed, then Section 9 will read: “Provided further that no citizen of India shall be deemed to have lost his citizenship merely on grounds of his or her availing the facility conferred by the order enacted by Portuguese government of registering their births in Portugal, to the Indians citizens, residing in the territory of erstwhile Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu and the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, then ruled by the Government of Portugal, unless such Indian citizens voluntarily apply for the citizenship of that country with