The Goa liberation day is celebrated on December 19 every year to mark the success of 'Operation Vijay' undertaken by the armed forces to liberate the state by defeating the Portuguese in 1961.

The Goa Liberation Day is celebrated in commemoration of the Indian armed forces annexing Portuguese-ruled Goa.

As part of Operation Vijay, the Indian armed forces used the armed forces trifecta with the help of local resistance movements to eradicate European rule from the country.

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia led the Goa liberation movement on June 18, 1946, with the aim of liberating Goa by gathering young Goans. As a result, Goa Revolution Day is now celebrated on this day.

On December 19, 1961, Jawaharlal Nehru sent armed forces to the coastal state. The Portuguese surrendered and the state was liberated. As a result, Goa, Daman, and Diu became Union Territories of India.

Goa, an Indian state, was liberated on December 19, 1961, from around 450 years of Portuguese rule. The movement for independence in the 19th century in India had some impact to a lesser extent in Goa also.

The residents of Goa also participated in Satyagraha in 1940s. The Portuguese still refused to leave Goa even after India got independence in 1947.

The government, though, didn't take any military action then, it held a series of diplomatic talks with Portuguese. After the talks failed, the then-Government of India chose the military option for the liberation of Goa.