Soares upheld India’s sovereignty over Goa

LISBON: Mario Soares, former president and prime minister who signed the 1974 India-Portugal treaty recognising India’s sovereignty over Goa, Daman, Diu, Nadra and Nagar Haveli as part of the country’s decolonisation process, passed away here on Saturday aged 92.

One of the most influential politicians in Portuguese history, Soares was the external affairs minister when the treaty was signed with former minister for external affairs Yashwantrao Chavan in New Delhi, soon after the ‘Carnation Revolution’ of April 1974 that returned democracy to Portugal. Soares faced some criticism at the time for allegedly ‘handing over’ Goa to India without seeking the views of Goans about their political future. Until the treaty was signed, Portugal continued its claim to Goa at the UN, refusing to recognise its liberation by India in 1961.

The Chavan-Soares treaty marked the resumption of diplomatic ties between India and Portugal, frozen after India liberated the former Portuguese colonies in December 1961. Soares was a fierce critic of dictator Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, who tried to hold on to Goa, and was overthrown in the 1974 revolution. Soares founded Portugal’s Socialist party (‘Partido Socialista’) in 1973 in Germany, conducting subversive activities while opposing Salazar’s regime.

He oversaw the decolonisation process of several Portuguese colonies. A colourful and charismatic leader, Soares became PM of Portugal three times and president for a decade. KATHMANDU : Nepal government on Sunday tabled the constitution amendment bill in parliament despite resistance from the opposition parties including the main opposition CPN-UML.

The bill was presented amid much chaos. The opposition parties had agreed to resume the House briefly to allow the government to table bills related to elections. Speaker Onsari Gharti announced that in the absence of deputy PM Bimalendra Nidhi, law minister Ajaya Shankar Nayak will table election bills. After Nayak finished presenting those bills, Gharti allowed more time for him to table the constitution amendment bill. Opposition lawmakers chanted slogans near the well of the House but could not move upward to the rostrum due to tight security. HTC