3 min readPanajiDec 11, 2024 09:32 AM IST
First published on: Dec 11, 2024 at 07:32 AM IST
A 43-year-old Christian man born in Pakistan became the second Goa resident to get citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
Shane Sebastian Pereira, whose family is from Demello Vaddo in North Goa’s Anjuna, was born in Pakistan’s Karachi on August 4, 1981. Shortly after his birth, his family moved back to Goa. In 2012, he got married to Maria Gloria Fernandes, an Indian citizen.
“I am happy I am an Indian now,” Pereira said.
Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Tuesday, Pereira said he was about 3-4 months old when his family moved to Goa. “I have done my schooling and education here. I married an Indian and heard in the news that if one gets married to an Indian, they can get citizenship faster. I had applied for citizenship, but it was under process for long…”
On Tuesday, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant handed over the citizenship certificate to Pereira at the Secretariat. The certificate said Pereira has been registered as a citizen of India under the provisions of section 6B and fulfilling the conditions under section 5(1)(c) of the Citizenship Act, 1955, with effect from the date of his entry into India.
Pereira said his attempts to obtain Indian citizenship over the years had remained unsuccessful until now.
“It was very tough since I had been staying here on a visit visa. Every year, I had to go to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) to renew it. In 2019, I heard of CAA, but I was not sure whether it has been implemented. Through media reports, I recently read about the case of another Pakistani citizen, Joseph Pereira, who was granted Indian citizenship. So, I applied through this route. The process was quite smooth and the application was processed in three months. I want to thank the Goa government,” he said.
Earlier in August, Joseph Pereira (78), who had migrated to Pakistan when Goa was under Portuguese rule and returned to India in 2013, was granted Indian citizenship.
Addressing the media, CM Sawant said, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Shane Sebastian Pereira on formally becoming an Indian citizen. I also take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for their visionary leadership in enacting and implementing this significant legislation ensuring justice.”
“He [Shane] is the second Goan to receive this certificate. Many others have applied and their applications are currently under process,” said Sawant, adding that the decision to implement the legislation would help Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis and Buddhists stranded in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Shane Sebastian Pereira receives the citizenship certificate from Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday. (Express Photo) 
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