Dabolim and TAIP - 4

A tale of a Goan Airport and Airline

Gabriel de Figueiredo

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Post-Dec 1961

After the Indian military actions of December 1961 against the EIP and subsequent annexation of the EIP by the Indian Union in March 1962, the then Indian military caretaker Govt. of Gen. Candeth handed over the Dabolim airport to the Navy in April 1962, ostensibly in a caretaker mode.  "There being no civil authority in Goa at the time, decisions were arrived at in military tradition, as per doctrine of occupied lands and spoils-of-war", according to Alfred de Tavares.  

Since then, the Indian Navy has considered Dabolim as its property through pronouncements by various Naval commanders in charge of the airport, though no documented evidence appears to exist that Dabolim was ever "handed over" or "leased" to the Indian Navy by any Goan government – note that the first elections for a Goa Govt. were held in 1963.  These pronouncements indicate that the powers in Delhi appear to consider Goa and its people as property "acquired by conquest", with the implied authorisation to do as they please with it.     

The Warbirds of India site states "With the Military action in 1961 against the Portuguese in Goa and subsequent incorporation of Goa, Daman and Diu into the Republic of India, the Indian Navy benefitted the most with the sudden availability of additional Port facilities.  More importantly, Dabolim Air Field was made into a center of Naval Aviation later on.  Today, Dabolim forms the cradle of Naval Aviation, providing training facilities as well as shore-based facilities for the Naval Strike aircraft when they are not deployed among the carriers." 

The Indian Navy site states that "in June 1964,  INS HANSA and INAS 551 relocated from Sulur in Coimbatore to Dabolim. In July 1964, sanction was accorded" – presumably by the Central Govt. – "for INS HANSA to be a full-fledged Naval Air Station, to be equipped with a Ground Controlled Approach (GCA) radar.  In November 1964, the Seahawk Squadron INAS 300 disembarked from VIKRANT directly to HANSA".   

According to Air Combat Information Group, "the magnificient base soon became the hub of all naval aviation and hosts six squadrons which include disembarked carrier aircraft.  Goa is also home to the headquarters of Indian Naval Aviation, established in 1986 and headed by a Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA).  The Aircrew Categorization and Standadization Board (AIRCATS) which also conducts annual Flight Safety Inspection of all naval air squadrons, was also established in 1983." 

Over the years, it appears that the successive Goa governments have had their arms twisted by the Indian Armed Forces, not only in the case of Dabolim, but also in the cases of various installations of the Indian Army and the Indian Navy in Goa.   

The Navy showed its true colours on  Sept. 25, 1996.  A statement by none other than the Rear Admiral Suresh Mehta, flag officer commanding, Goa Area, remarked:  "Not only would the Navy not vacate Dabolim airport, but its ownership of the airfield too was beyond question". He wanted to lay to rest the debate provoked by ''vested elements" (i.e. citizens of Goa) on the ownership of the airport, taken over by them after the liberation of Goa in 1961.  "The ownership of the airfield is not negotiable," he told a group of representatives of the tourism industry whom he recently addressed at a face to face meet organised by the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  In his opening address at the face to face meet between the Navy and tourism representatives, the president of the Goa Chamber Dattaraj Salgaocar remarked pointedly that ''there is a feeling in some quarters that it would be up to the Navy to seek and find a new address", that "Dabolim came to them in the aftermath of Operation Vijay in 1961 that liberated Goa", and that "the time has come for the Navy to restore the airport to the civilian authorities".  But Admiral Mehta who was well prepared to handle any provocation and criticism that the naval presence had been hampering tourist charter operations to this State, took the wind out of the sails of the tourism lobby, sources said. "All procedures were followed and compensation was paid for the land acquired for the naval air station", Admiral Mehta said.  Quoting a lease agreement signed between the ministry of defence and the civil aviation department, he pointed out that the use of the airfield for civil aviation purposes was subject to the condition that it would in no way interfere with the functioning of the Navy.    

It is indeed strange that the Goa Govt. was never privy to the "lease agreement" nor to the "compensation paid for the land acquired for the naval air station", which leads one to think that this is all bluff on part of the Indian Navy; especially so when the Rajya Sabha member, Eduardo Faleiro raised such questions as "what is the status of the ownership of Goa's Dabolim Airport?"  If there really is a lease agreement, he ought to have known the answer to this question.   

And if indeed there is a lease agreement, what is the duration of the lease? How much is/was the rent paid and to whom is/was it paid? Who were the signatories to the agreement? What are the conditions stipulated on the lease agreement? Has the Goa Govt. been informed of the existence of such a document?  If not, why not?  These are the questions that need to be asked to the Navy and to New Delhi.  Then again, if there is a lease agreement, the ownership of the airport does not lie with the Navy, but with the lessor of the airport, whoever that may be.

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