Officials unable to pinpoint why few Goans join defence

Panaji: Keen to keep alive the memory of the warriors who laid down their life for the country during the 1965 India Pakistan war which India won and in order to encourage Goans to join the armed forces, INS Mandovi organized a two-day motorcycle expedition from Verem to Castle Rock.
Records show that the presence of Goans in the armed forces remained marginal, though defence officials were unable to pinpoint why few Goans joined the defence sector.
“A lot of people do not understand the sacrifices of the armed forces. 1965 was a great victory but very few people know about the valour and sacrifice of these soldiers,” a senior naval officer said.
To commemorate the golden anniversary of the 1965 Indo-Pak war, 10 sailors and officers participated in the motorcycle expedition, stopping on the way at Old Goa and Ponda where they distributed pamphlets regarding each of the wings of the armed forces.
The motorcycle expedition was flagged off by Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, NM, Commandant, Naval war college, who also participated in the event.