Panaji: Brenden Valentine Crasto, a Roman Catholic with Goan roots and technically a citizen of Pakistan, was on Monday officially granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Crasto, a long-time resident of Anjuna, has become the third person in Goa to receive Indian citizenship through the CAA route.
The citizenship certificate was handed over to him by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at a formal ceremony held at Mantralaya, Porvorim, on Monday.
Crasto traces his roots to Goa through his grandparents, who migrated to Pakistan before India’s Independence in 1947.
He returned to Goa with his parents in 1981.
Despite living in his ancestral property for over four decades, his citizenship status remained unresolved. Crasto married Indian citizen Merilyn Fernandes in 2014, further solidifying his personal and familial ties to the region.
Crasto thanked the CAA, the state government, the National Commission for Minorities, and the central government for conferring upon him Indian citizenship.
“We came back to Goa in 1981. And after 44 years, I have finally received what we had been waiting for. I am very grateful,” Crasto said after receiving the certificate.
The Chief Minister hailed the moment as one of pride and progress, highlighting the broader significance of the CAA in restoring citizenship rights to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries.
“This is the third citizenship granted in Goa under the CAA. After years of struggle, Brenden has finally got his citizenship. His wife and children are happy today, and so are we,” he stated.
One more application under the CAA is currently pending in Goa, Sawant said, reaffirming the state’s commitment to implementing the law in coordination with the central government.
