In February 2018, Goa chief minister Parrikar had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Since then, the most popular politician of the state received treatments in American hospitals, the AIIMS in Delhi, and hospitals in Mumbai and Goa.
Panaji: Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar breathed his last on Sunday, March 17, at his residence in the capital of the state.
Earlier, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who was diagnosed with a pancreatic ailment in February 2018, had been declared “extremely critical” by his office on Twitter. “Chief Minister @manoharparrikar's health condition is extremely critical. Doctors are trying their best,” the tweet had announced.
Chief Minister 's health condition is extremely critical. Doctors are trying their best.
— CMO Goa (@goacm)In February, Parrikar had been admitted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital near Panaji. However, he was discharged on February 26.
Since his cancer was detected, Parrikar received treatments in American hospitals, the AIIMS in Delhi, and hospitals in Mumbai and Goa.
When Parrikar returned to work in December 2018 and said he had been battling a “life-threatening disease”, he did not tell it was cancer. Rather, he assured all he would continue to work till his last breath.
On January 30, he presented the Goa Budget in the state Assembly, looking critical with a tube in his nose. This made the opposition raise a din. Since that day, the Congress has demanded off and on that the BJP government be dismissed.
The Congress doubted the chief minister’s ability to continue to work. It accused the ruling BJP of “parading” Parrikar to protect the state government.
After the death of BJP legislator Francis D’Souza, the Congress demand to let it form the government reached a crescendo, as they wrote to governor Mridula Sinha to dismiss the Parrikar government.
Unfazed by the politics of his state, Parrikar hinted a few days later that he would play an active role in the campaign for the coming Lok Sabha election. “I will not give a big speech. I will reserve those for elections,” Mr Parrikar said at a meeting of BJP workers presided over by party chief Amit Shah.
At a meeting on Saturday, the state BJP had agreed that Parrikar would remain their leader. The decision had the support of their allies. Fate had in store that Manohar Gopalkrishna Prabhu Parrikar could remain their leader only till this Sunday.
Manohar Parrikar was born in Mapusa, Goa. He went to Loyola High School, Margao, and completed his secondary education in Marathi. He graduated in metallurgical engineering from the IIT Bombay in 1978.
Parrikar was the first IIT product to serve as an MLA of an Indian state. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 2001.
Parrikar’s wife Medha had died in 2001. They have left behind two sons: Utpal, who is an electrical engineering graduate and Abhijat, who is a businessman.
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