Manohar Parrikar

Manohar Parrikar was born to Gaud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) family[9] in Mapusa, Goa.[10] He studied at Loyola High School, Margao.[11] He completed his 10th Standard Board Examination at G.S. Amonkar Vidya Mandir, Mapusa. which was previously known as New Goa High school. He completed his secondary education in Marathi and went on to graduate in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay),[10] in 1978. He was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT Bombay in 2001.[12]

Parrikar joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at a young age and became a mukhya shikshak (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 sanghchalak (local director) at the age of 26. He was active in the RSS's North Goa unit, becoming a key organiser of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. He was seconded by RSS to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with the objective of fighting the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.[13] He is sometimes described as having been a pracharak of the RSS.[14]

Union Minister for Defence (2014–17)

Parrikar interacting with the media after taking charge as the Defense Minister, in New Delhi on 10 November 2014.

Manohar Parrikar (sitting, left) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Barack Obama at the 2015 Republic Day Parade, New Delhi

In the 2014 general elections, BJP won both the Lok Sabha seats in Goa.[22] 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 central government.[22]

Parrikar was preceded by Laxmikant Parsekar as Goa's CM. Parrikar had represented the Panaji constituency in the Goa Legislative Assembly when he was a player in the state politics.[23]

In November 2014, Parrikar was chosen as the Minister of Defence replacing Arun Jaitley, who, till then, held additional charge of the Ministry.[14][24] His entry into the parliament was facilitated by choosing him as the party's candidate for the elected Rajya Sabha seat from Uttar Pradesh.[23]

In 2001, the Parrikar government turned over fifty-one government primary schools in rural areas to Vidya Bharati, the educational wing of the Sangh Parivar, inviting criticism from educationists.[25][26] He also drew criticism for approving a junket costing at least ₹8.9 million (equivalent to ₹11 million or US$160,000 in 2019) for six government MLAs from the ruling party, including three ministers, to attend the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Indian National Congress termed the trip "wasteful expenditure" and criticized the lack of other government officials or soccer experts in the delegation.[27][28]

Parrikar has often made remarks of controversial nature.[29] In wake of the debate on religious intolerance in India and actor Aamir Khan stating that his wife Kiran Rao had asked to move out of India, Parrikar made a controversial remark that "if anyone speaks like this, he has to be taught a lesson of his life".[30] He later clarified that he had not targeted any specific individual.[31] In August 2016, Parrikar stated that going to Pakistan is the same thing as "going to hell".[32] In November 2016, Parrikar, while serving as Minister of Defence of India, raised a question about why India should bind itself to the no first use policy.[33]

He was an avid fan of American TV shows such as The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Breaking Bad.

His wife Medha died in 2001. He has 2 Sons

During March–June 2018, Parrikar was undergoing treatment for what would turn out to be pancreatic cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA. He returned to India and in September was admitted in the AIIMS, Delhi for treatment.[34] On 27 October 2018 the Goa government announced that CM Manohar Parrikar had pancreatic cancer.[35]

He died on 17 March 2019 at the age of 63 from pancreatic cancer at his residence in Panaji.[36][37] His death was announced by the president of India, Ram Nath Kovind.[38]

On the evening of 18 March, Parrikar was cremated with full state honours at Miramar in Panaji.[39]

In June 2020, a biography on the late Parrikar entitled "An Extraordinary Life : A Biography of Manohar Parrikar" was published by Penguin Random House India. The book penned by journalists Sadguru Patil and Mayabhushan Nagvenkar documents Parrikar's life and ascent to power in detail.[40]

The biography was published a little over a year after Parrikar’s passing away, and recaps three decades of political events in Goa. This book was preceded by one of the author’s– Sadguru Patil- Marathi book on the politician, entitled "Goan Politics and Parrikar", which came out in 2019.

"An Extraordinary Life" contains heretofore little known details and anecdotes about Parrikar's personal life and preferences, as well as memories and quotes from his family and friends. The biography takes readers through his childhood and family situation, early years and dedication to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), his days at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai, his marriage, setting up business as a young entrepreneur, and his first steps into electoral politics.[41]

The book offers insights into the complex personality of the multiple-term Goa Chief Minister. It portrays him as someone who won as a legislator from Panaji on an anti-corruption and clean governance agenda, but later made several compromises while in power, often going back on his election promises.[8]

• 2020: Padma Bhushan by Government of India
• 2018: Honorary Doctorate by National Institute of Technology Goa on 28 September 2018.[42]
• 2012: CNN-IBN Indian of the Year in politics category[43]
• 2001: Distinguished Alumnus Award IIT-Mumbai[12]

The Indian Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses was renamed as Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses in his fond memories.[44]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Manohar Parrikar.

• Detailed Profile: Shri Manohar Parrikar
• Social Media Analytics of Goa