The four-time Goa CM Manohar Parrikar drew his last breath after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 63 on March 17, 2017. His health deteriorated day after day and was in critical condition. After that, our country lost an honest, educated and patriotic leader.
Mr Parrikar is a down-to-earth person and his absence is now a huge loss for the nation. He served his country till his last breath. Here are the lesser-known facts about Manohar Parrikar.
#1. Manohar Parrikar became the first-ever IITian to take an oath as Chief Minister of an Indian state. Being born in Mapusa, Gopalkrishna and Radhabai, his full name was Manohar Gopalakrishna Prabhu Parrikar.
#2. Mr. Parrikar saw his worst ever days before he took charge as Goa Chief Minister in 2000. His wife failed a battle with cancer and collapsed a month before Parrikar was to take oath as the state Chief Minister.
#3. Manohar Parrikar has been seen riding a bicycle and scooter to the Goa Vidhan Sabha leaving the government vehicle. He prefers to travel by public transport. He used to travel in the economy class on the flight. Not just that as he would stand on any tea stall with no security and drink tea.
#4. Interestingly, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Goa, he did not move to the bigger house allotted by the government because he preferred living in his own house. In fact, he did not upgrade his car too, which just goes to show that he is a man of simplicity.
#5. Mr. Parrikar is someone who does clean politics. He has no charges of corruption to his name and has been one of the cleanest ministers of India.
#6. In late 2014, he took charge as Defence Minister in the Union Cabinet, becoming the first politician from Goa to get into that stature in the central government.
#7. Parrikar is known for his straightforward approach and he makes bold statements with no hesitation
#8. Long before any of us could feel or sense Narendra Modi wave across the nation, it was Manohar Parrikar who backed Modi to be the BJP’s primary choice of Prime Minister thus becoming the BJP party’s first member to do so.
#9. Mr. 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. Manohar Parrikar spent roughly around 3 months in the US for treatment and after returning home in June last year, Parrikar was seen wearing medical paraphernalia, a nasogastric tube. Even in such condition, he turned up for work to present the state’s budget two months ago.
#10. “Once again I promise that I will serve Goa with sincerity, integrity, and dedication until my last breath,” Parrikar added in the Goa assembly on January 30. “There is a josh, that is too high and I’m fully in hosh.”
#11. Ever since his arrival, the four-time Goa CM has been actively involved in his state’s administration works. The Opposition Congress raised questions about whether Parrikar can productively govern the state, considering the bad condition of his health. However, Manohar Parrikar presented the Goa budget in the state assembly, while sitting in his chair with a nasogastric tube inserted through his nose.
#12. On 17 March 2019, Mr. Parrikar passed away at the age of 63 after a prolonged illness in his hometown- Panaji, Goa.
Read all the 12 Lesser-known facts of late Goa CM Manohar Parrikar’s life
