Manohar Parrikar's last rite in Panaji on Monday; Govt announces national mourning
Background
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar died at his private residence near Panaji on Sunday after a prolonged illness. He was 63. The former Defence Minister's health, which has been fluctuating for a year, took a turn for the worse in the past two days. The condition of Parrikar turned "extremely critical" on Sunday.
He was suffering from a serious pancreatic ailment and undergoing treatment at his private residence at Dona Paula.
President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his grief on Parrikar's demise.
"Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity. An epitome of integrity and dedication in public life, his service to the people of Goa and of India will not be forgotten," he said in a tweet.
Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity. An epitome of integrity and dedication in public life, his service to the people of Goa and of India will not be forgotten #PresidentKovind
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 17, 2019
PTI quoting sources said Parrikar had been on life support system since late Saturday night.
Other leaders, cutting across party lines, mourned his death.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi said: "I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Goa CM, Shri Manohar Parrikar Ji, who bravely battled a debilitating illness for over a year. Respected and admired across party lines, he was one of Goa’s favourite sons. My condolences to his family in this time of grief."
"Shri Manohar Parrikar is no more. A sincere, honest & sensitive political activist. Was simple and down to earth, I learnt a lot from Shri.Parrikar. As Raksha Mantri his contribution to making the armed forces a modernised, lean & mean fighting machine will remain unparalleled, tweeted Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman.
"Extremely saddened by the untimely demise of my good friend Manohar Parrikar ji. An epitome of impeccable integrity, a down to earth personality, the first IITian to become CM of a state, great son of India gone too soon... RIP my dear friend...," Union Minister Suresh Prabhu said in a tweet.
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi tweeted, "My condolences to the bereaved family of Shri. Manohar Parrikar. I met him only once, when he graciously visited my mother at the hospital two years ago. May his soul rest in peace."
Born in a middle class business family in Mapusa in north Goa, Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar graduated to the BJP from the RSS ranks.
He joined the RSS in his school days and always held that the ideology and training he received from the organisation greatly helped him in public life, most importantly in decision-making.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who hand-picked him as the Defence Minister in November 2014, often lavished praises on Parrikar for his dedication and hard work, especially in the context of the surgical strike last year.
A metallurgical engineer from IIT Bombay, Parrikar was first elected to the Goa Assembly in 1994. He served as he leader of the opposition from June to November 1999.
In a state known for political swings as well as rise and fall of ministries, Parrikars first stint as chief minister was from October 24, 2000 to February 27, 2002. He had his next term at the top slot in the state from June 5, 2002 to January 29, 2005.
In 2009, Parrikar was one of the top seeds in the running for the party’s national president position, when the furore triggered by his comparison of BJP stalwart L.K. Advani to “rancid pickle” during an interview to a local cable news channel turned the tide against him.
In 2012, he successfully led the BJP to power and became the chief minister for the third time, which lasted until November 2014 when he was made Defence Minister.
Parrikar as the partys choice this time round was broadly hinted by the BJP leaders including Nitin Gadkari during the run-up, saying a leader from Delhi could be called to head the state after the polls.
Parrikar, who often faced criticism from detractors for airdashing to Goa every weekend, also did not hide his wish to return to his home state.
The party leaders also vouched that the BJPs manifesto and campaign strategy was scripted under Parrikars guidance, restricting Laxmikant Parsekar, who succeeded him as chief minister, to his constituency of Mandrem, which he failed to defend.
Parrikar criss-crossed the entire Goa, promising continuation of the developmental works the BJP government initiated and sought a clear mandate, stressing political stability was essential to steer the state to progress.
A leader who enjoyed acceptance from all sections of the BJP and beyond, he played key role in making the party a force to reckon with in Goa, which remained for long a Congress bastion, with regional outfits having pockets of influence. Parrikar, whose wife died in 2001, is survived by two sons-- Utpal and Abhijit.
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