Team Herald
PANJIM: If Mehrunissa Charangan were to now change her name to Alice Rodrigues or if Mohan Karunakaran wants his name changed to Jimmy Lobo (as both have done), they will have to do two things. Prove that either Mehrunissa or Karunakaran were themselves born in Goa or any of their parents or grandparents did. The matter would then be taken to the District Judge or Senior Judge Civil Division.
In a very timely initiative by Law Minister Nilesh Cabral, the bill to bring about an Amendment to ‘The Goa Change of Name and Surname Act, 1990’ will be introduced in the current Monsoon Session of the State Assembly. The Cabinet of the earlier Pramod Sawant Government had already accorded its approval way back in January 2022.
Speaking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Law Minister Nilesh Cabral said as per the suggested amendment, persons who want to change names in Goa should either be born in Goa or either one of their parents or grandparents should be born in Goa, Daman & Diu.
“They will be considered as Goans and will be allowed for any change in name with consent from the judiciary,” Cabral said. Earlier, the power was vested with either the Sub-Registrar or Chief Registrar for births and deaths
As per the amendments the powers will be vested with the civil judge or district judge to decide on the name change applications. “This will restrict the rising number of non-Goans acquiring Goan names or surnames,” he said.
An interesting fall out of this could also be, though it is unspoken that if there are any religious conversions where the converted seeks a name change in tune with the religion he or she embraces, it will be difficult or even impossible if the converted cannot prove Goan origins.
The issue was first discussed in the Assembly in 2019. Around that time a delegation from Gomantak Bhandari Samaj had also called on the Chief Minister urging him to act to prevent migrants from acquitting Goan names and securing benefits earmarked for backward castes.
The Act lays down the procedure for the change of name and surname of any person born in the State of Goa. In the last couple of years, the State has seen many ‘change in name’ notices in newspapers, mostly by non-Goans.
