Goa chief minister and former defence minister Manohar Parrikar has died at the age of 63 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
Although Parrikar was BJPs face in Goa, he was known for his secular politics. He also garnered respect for his simple and humble lifestyle.
Parrikar passed away at his residence in Panaji on Sunday, March 17.
He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018 and had since been shuttling between Goa, Delhi, Mumbai, and New York for treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his admiration for Parrikar on Twitter.
India will be eternally grateful to Shri Manohar Parrikar for his tenure as our Defence Minister. When he was RM, India witnessed a series of decisions that enhanced Indias security capacities, boosted indigenous defence production and bettered the lives of ex-servicemen, said Modi.
The national flag at the Rashtrapati Bhavan flew at half-mast in Parrikar’s honour. Goa hosted a state funeral with full military honours at 5 pm on Monday, March 18, as well.
IIT-Bombay, Parrikars alma mater, too, is scheduling a condolence meet.
Thousands have gathered in Goa to pay their respects to Parrikar and his family.
Who was Manohar Parrikar?
Manohar Gopalkrishna Parrikar was a politician from Goa, where he eventually became Chief Minister.
Born and raised in Parra village since 1955, Parrikar went on to study metallurgy at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay.
He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the 70s and became an MLA in Goa in 1994.
Four-time CM of Goa
Parrikar is fondly remembered for his uniform consisting of a half-sleeved shirt, dark-coloured trousers, and floaters; these became symbolic of his simplicity.
He was first elected chief minister of Goa in 2000, the year his wife succumbed to cancer.
As CM, Parrikar managed to earn the support of Goas Christian community and encourage infrastructural development.
He took on the powerful mining lobby in the state as well. Although mining accounts for close to 20% of the states GDP, people had grown concerned about the impact of illegal mining.
This issue became one of Parrikars platform causes, as he vowed to tackle environmental degradation.
He was reelected in 2002, 2012, and 2014.
He was one of the few politicians from Goa to rise to the national stage. He was appointed Raksha Mantri in 2014 and served till 2017.
Goas first defence minister
As defence minister, he was instrumental in improving the relationship between the bureaucracy in the Ministry of Defence and personnel Service Headquarters. He pushed for the modernisation of the armed forces and assembling weaponry in India itself, as well.
He even tried his best to execute Modis much contended one-rank one-pension scheme (OROP) for the military.
In simple terms, OROP implies that uniform pension be paid to the Armed Forces personnel retiring in the same rank with the same length of service, regardless of their date of retirement. Future enhancements in the rates of pension would be automatically passed on the past pensioners, Parrikar had said in 2018.
In this national leadership position, Parrikar supervised the successful delivery of the Uri strike in 2016. Then army chief Lt. General D S Hooda praised Parrikar for his decisiveness and quick thinking.
His achievements in Goa are also cultural. He was the first CM to host the International Film Festival in the state in 2004.
He remained committed to public service till his last days, despite his ailing health.
Remembering Parrikar
Support and condolences for Parrikar have poured in from across the country.
Anuraag Saxena, a volunteer at the India Pride Project, recalled the first time he met Parrikar.
The first time I met #ManoharParrikar ji, I kept standing out of respect. He smiled and said Arre sit na baba. We are the same. I have 5 legs or what. He was *not* a politicians. He was a Leader, tweeted Saxena.
Former CM of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje also praised Parrikar for his strong sense of dignity and integrity.
President Ram Nath Kovind said Parrikar was the epitome of dedication in public life.
Officer on Special Duty to Parrikar, Prasanna Karthik, also took to Twitter to discuss the mans stellar work ethic.
This is the chair at his official residence that #ManoharParrikar used to sit on & formally start his work at 7:00 AM & end it at 10:30 PM, EVERYDAY, till he fell ill last year. The man knew no leave, no holiday, no rest, said Karthik.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi also said Parrikar was respected across party lines.
Today, #WeMissManoharParrikar is the top trending hashtag on Twitter.
Rhea Arora is a Staff Writer at Qrius