Leadership is the ability to influence people; to get them to act together and on time; to provide direction and instill confidence and simplicity is not something you find or something you do, simplicity is a way of thinking and it takes discipline.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar passed away last evening after a long battle with cancer. Parrikar had been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, Delhi, and New York since February last year after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Parrikar, 63, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on January 31 and after coming back from New York, Manohar Parrikar was seen wearing medical paraphernalia -a nasogastric tube while delivering on his official engagements speaks volumes about his commitment and dedication towards work.
President, Prime minister among various political leaders condoled on his demise through messages on social media
By numerous Tweets, all political leaders express their grief and sorrow:
President, Ram NathKovind “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.
Prime Minister, NarendraModi “Shri Manohar Parrikar was the builder of modern Goa. Thanks to his affable personality and accessible nature, he remained the preferred leader of the state for years. His pro-people policies ensured Goa scales remarkable heights of progress.”
Delhi CM, Arvind Kejriwal “Extremely saddened at the news of passing away of Goa CM ShManoharParrikarji. A symbol of simplicity in politics who led a humble life is no longer with us. May his family bear the irreparable loss with courage, Prayers with them.”
Congress President, Rahul Gandhi “I am deeply saddened by the news of the passing of Goa CM, ShriManoharParrikarJi, who bravely battled a debilitating illness for over a year. Respected and admired across party lines, he was one of Goa’s favorite sons. My condolences to his family in this time of grief.”
Manohar Parrikar was an Indian politician and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party who was the Chief Minister of Goa from 14 March 2017 to 17 March 2019 till his death. Previously he was the Chief Minister of Goa from 2000 to 2005 and from 2012 to 2014. Four-time Chief Minister of Goa and also former Defence minister of India.
Manohar Parrikar 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.
Early Life and Education
Manohar Parrikar was born in Mapusa, Goa. Parrikar studied at Loyola High School, Margao. Where he completed his secondary education in Marathi and went on to graduate in metallurgical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay) in 1978. He was the first IIT alumnus to serve as MLA of an Indian state. Later he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 2001.
Political career
Manohar Parrikar joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh at a young age and became a chief instructor in the final years of his schooling. After graduating from IIT, he resumed RSS work in Mapusa while maintaining a private business, and became a local director at the age of 26. As a member of the BJP, Parrikar was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Goa in 1994. He was a leader of the opposition from June to November 1999. He successfully contested the election to become Chief Minister of Goa. In the 2014 General Elections, BJP won both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa. Parrikar was reluctant to leave Goa and move to Delhi in November 2014, by his own admission but was persuaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the central government. In the year of 2014, Parrikar was chosen as the Minister of Defence replacing Arun Jaitley, who, till then, held the additional charge of the Ministry.
Back to home again as CM
On March 14, 2017, Parrikar was sworn in as Chief Minister of Goa. Goa Forward Party led by Vijai Sardesai, one of the parties who allied with BJP in Goa after election results were announced, had said that it would extend support to the BJP only if Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was brought back to the state as Chief Minister.
Family Life
Manohar Parrikar was married to Medha and blessed with two sons. In 2000 his wife died of leukemia cancer.
Achievements
By India Today Magazine, he was conferred as ‘The Best Chief Minister’ in 2004. He was also known as Mr. Clean in Goa. When he was a Defence Minister, under his leadership the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme was introduced. Also, in his term, India carried out a surgical strike in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Myanmar. In 2001, he received Distinguished Alumnus Award IIT-Mumbai. In 2012, CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in the politics category. On September 2018, Honorary Doctorate by the National Institute of Technology Goa.
A good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit. Manohar Parrikar was one of those leaders.
