Decolonisation to Political Integration of India - Dadra and Nagar-Haveli

Decolonisation to Political Integration of India - Dadra, and Nagar-Haveli:

Dadra and Nagar-Haveli are located in the interior parts of the Gujarat coast. It is on the northern banks of the river Damanganga It was part of Portuguese dominion and was administered by a Portuguese governor. It was anticipated that after India’s independence the Portuguese would hand over these regions to India and quit. However, they did not do so.

In order to keep the English at bay and to enlist their support against the Mughals, the Marathas made friends with the Portuguese and signed a treaty in 1779. According to this historic treaty of friendship, the Maratha-Peshwa agreed that the Portuguese will be allowed to collect revenue from Dadra and Nagar Haveli which consisted of 72 villages, then known as Parganas in compensation for their loss of a warship called " Santana " which had earlier been captured by the Marathas but not surrendered to the Portuguese in spite of their many entreaties. These territories were earlier ruled by the Koli chiefs who were defeated by the Hindu kings of Jawhar and Ramnagar. The Marathas conquered and annexed these territories to their kingdom. The area of Dadra &Nagar Haveli spread over 491.00 sq. km. landlocked between Gujarat in North and Maharashtra in the South was liberated from Portuguese Rulers by people themselves on 2nd August 1954. The people of the U.T. established the free Administration of Dadra & Nagar Haveli, which was finally merged into the Union of India in the year 1961.

The organisations, namely, ‘United Front of Goans’, ‘Azad Gomantak Dal’ came together and planned a campaign to free these regions from the Portuguese rule. In 1954, Francis Mascarenhas, Vimal Sardesai, the leaders of ‘Azad Gomantak Dal’ intensified the struggle. With fierce protestations people captured Nagar-Haveli. The other organisation, ‘United Front of Goans’ took hold of Dadra. ‘Rashtravadi Mukti Sena’, a branch of ‘Azad Gomantak Dal’ took over Naroli, Pimparia, and some part of Silvasa. Local police stations and administrative offices were attacked. Public unrest reached such an extent that the Portuguese army had to beat a retreat. The Portuguese Captain Fidalgo surrendered. The Government of India appointed K.G. Badalani to bring normalcy in administration in this area. According to the agreement with the Indian Government, the region of Dadra and Nagar-Haveli was merged in India on 2nd August 1954. Vishvanath Lavande, Rajabhau Vakankar, Sudhir Phadke, Nanasaheb Kajarekar, Nilubhau Limaye, Vasant Zanjale, and many others participated in this struggle. In 1961 Dadra and Nagar-Haveli were given the status of ‘Union Territories’.