Manohar Parrikar was an Indian politician and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He was the Chief Minister of Goa from 14 March 2017 till his death – 17 March 2019. Previously, he was the chief minister of Goa from 2000 to 2005 and from 2012 to 2014. He was the first IIT alumnus to serve as MLA of an Indian state, and was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 2001.
He was one of the few BJP leaders known to have secured a secular image.
Known for his simplicity and humbleness, his political fervor was celebrated by his colleagues and other political leaders alike. He was much adored by the public, and Goans for his demeanor and his inclination towards serving the people. From his understanding of International environment and military diplomacy to his lobbying skills to get the most tourist-friendly festivals to Goa, he was much adored by his fans.
In 2000, when he first became the chief minister of a coalition government, heralding the BJP inside the assembly complex for the first time. Mr. Parrikar also proposed the name of Narendra Modi as the prime ministerial candidate before the 2013 BJP parliamentary elections convention in Goa. He served in the National Democratic Alliance government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Defence Minister of India from 2014 to 2017. He was a former member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.
In Delhi, where Mr. Parrikar was Defence Minister from 2014 to 2017, he famously announced that he would break the nexus between middlemen and arms agents. He was also at the helm when the Army conducted the cross-border surgical strike of 2016. And when the controversial Rafale fighter jet deal was being negotiated by the NDA government.
(Source – Indianexpress.com)
Let’s take you through some interesting facts that made him loved by the public :
1. Manohar Parrikar rode his scooter to the Goa Assembly.
2. He loved having his chai on the road side-stalls, and took pride in saying that, “every politician should have tea on road side stalls to get all kind of information about their state”.
3. During his term as the defence minister, Mr. Parrikar only occupied a single room in his Akbar road bungalow.
4. His stint as a Union Minister, saw a full attendance in the Parliament.
5. Just like any other common man, Mr. Parrikar stood in queues on airports and other public places.
6. He was often spotted grabbing a meal at local restaurants.
7. Mr. Manohar Parrikar was the first Indian CM who graduated from an IIT.
8. Mr. Parrikar was the first CM to acknowledge Modi as PM contender.
9. Despite his declining health, Mr. Parrikar carried on as CM and wanted to serve Goa till his last breath.
10. Mr. Parrikar was a master of political issues and was considered highly skilled in social engineering.
11. He was the only minister who chose 13, his birth date, as his lucky number — even flaunting it on his vehicle’s number plates.
12. Months before his death, ten clerics reached the BJP headquarters to read the Koran for him and the state’s archbishop Filipe Neri Ferao appealed to the Catholic community to pray for him.
There will be one day holiday, and 7 days of mourning in Goa after CM Manohar Parrikar’s death.
Mr. Parrikar was suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and had been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and New Delhi over the past year.
With the demise of chief minister Manohar Parrikar, the BJP-led coalition in Goa has to search for a new leader to replace him. The death of the former defence minister, who represented the Panaji assembly seat, will also necessitate a fourth bypoll in Goa, where by-elections are scheduled for the Shiroda, Mandrem and Mapusa assembly constituencies on April 23. These will held in the state along with the Lok Sabha polls.
According to reports, the centre has announced national mourning on March 18, following demise of the Goa CM. State funeral will be accorded to him. National Flag will fly at half-mast in the National Capital & capitals of States & UTs.
Our team pays their condolences to this much adored leader.
