Evening star., 1961-12-18

JaQeV 1SlanQ, q portuguese pos
session off the southern end of
Goa. was reported taken over
by an Indian naval unit after
1t fired warning shots.
Otherwise Indian troops had
gone between eight and 10 miles
inside the border in wide arc,
the spokesman said.
He said Sanquilem, in the
north sector 10 miles from the
border, and Molem, in the CEN
trail sector eight miles from the
border. had fallen.
!, Portuguese were reported to
have carried out considerable
; destruction in Bicholin, three
miles from the border in the
northern sector.
Indian-backed Goan nation
alists. who are called resistance
leaders, issued statement well
coming the Indian troops and
expressing the hope "the liber-
alton Of Goa will be the prel-
ude to the liberation Of AZ
rican people still under the
Portuguese yoke"
Officials at the United Ma
tions predicted the Security
council would meet and prob
ably would censure Mr.. Nehru's
government.
President Kennedy and Brit
ish Prime Minister Macmillan
earlier had appealed directly
to Mr.. Nehru to seek a peace
full settlement of the long
standing dispute. But Mr..
Nehru turned a deaf ear and
rejected a similar appeal from
acting U. N. Secretary General
U Thant.
Portuguese Premier Antonio
SalaZar told Mr.. Thant he was
ready to negotiate and give
guarantees that the territories
would not threaten India's
security.
Portugal branded the attack
aggression. Besides being a
member of the U. N. Portugal
is also a member Of the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization,
but other members repeatedly
had informed the Salazar gov
ernment that its Indian terri
tories did not come under
NATO's mutual assistance de-
fenSe shield.
Portugal ordered internment
Of all Indian nationals in
Portuguese overseas territories
and froze their assets. There
are sizable Indian populations
in Mozambique and Angola in
Africa and in Macao on the
Red China border.
Authorities in Macao began
to intern Indians in a hastily
erected camp. The estimated
10000 Indians in Mozambique
who control a large part Of the
local commercial life, were or
dered to surrender for intern
ment. Troops and military po-
lice patrolled Indian business
and residential sections in
Lourenco Marques to prevent
reprisals by the Portuguese
population.
Heavy Firing Heard
Details of the fighting were
=. skimpy but heavy firing could
be heard at this Indian COM
mand post only a few miles
, from the Goan frontier.
1t. Gen. j. N. Chaudhuri, the
. conqueror of Hyderabad in 1915
a year after India became indie
pendent, is directing the Indian
offensive.
: The Indian forces swept
across the Goan border at three
: places in full force, with tanks
. armored cars and air cover.
Defense Minister v. K
, Krishna Menon said in New
, Delhi that the invaders were
being helped by undergoing
; sympathizers inside Goa. He
said there was evidence the
Portuguese were blowing ur
bridges and destroying oil stor.
age tanks in a scorched earth
policy.
The Indian command said
the invasion was going al
, planned.
Heaviest fighting was re.
, ported in Goa, an area of 1,34t
: square miles with a population
of about 100000. Only nomina
S resistance was reported in Dil
: and Damao. which together tota
l only SO square miles and have
about $4,000 people.
, Heavy Raids Charged
: The government in Lisbor
! charged the Indian air force
e with devasting air raids on Novs
i Goa, capital of Goa, and thi
port Of Mormugoa.
1 The Goa radio station in tn,
= capital was bombed anc
S knocked out. Fires were re
ported raging in the city from
e gasoline depots hit by tn,
y raiders.
t Dr.. Moreira Baptista. Por
S tuguese Secretary of Informa
n ton, told foreign newsmen il
il Lisbon: mo doubt many civil
h ans must have been victims o
this barbaric attack"