Goa Grants First Indian Citizenship under CAA to Pakistani Christian Senior

Joseph Francis A. Pereira, a Christian senior citizen originally from Pakistan and now residing in Goa, received Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) from Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. Pereira expressed gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for facilitating the citizenship process.

In a historic move, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday presented Indian citizenship to Joseph Francis A. Pereira, a Christian senior citizen from Pakistan now residing in Goa, under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). This marks the first instance of citizenship being granted under the CAA in the state.

Expressing his gratitude, Pereira thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the enactment of the CAA. 'CAA was applied and within one month, the approval has come. I am very grateful to the CAA that was brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah,' he stated.

Pereira, who had moved to Pakistan in 1960 for education and later worked in Bahrain for 37 years, said he has been living in Goa since his retirement in 2013. His wife, Martha Pereira, shared their long struggle for Indian citizenship, highlighting that their application under the CAA in June was successful. Chief Minister Sawant emphasized the pride in granting citizenship to those who sought it for decades.

(With inputs from agencies.)