On March 12th we observe the birth anniversary of Goa’s first Chief Minister Dayanand Bandodkar who assumed office on 20th December 1963 and continued as Chief Minister till his sudden death on 12th August 1973. Affectionately referred to by all as ‘Bhausaheb’ he was undoubtedly the best Chief Minister we have had.
At the age of 10, it was my privilege to interact with Dayanand Bandodkar with a grievance faced by my grandmother who lived very close to his bungalow at Althinho. A few months later managed to sneak into the Goa Legislative Assembly and witness those debates with the Chief Minister’s pointed but witty replies. That same year Dayananad Bandodkar visited our Ribandar as the Chief Guest for the football finals.
Though Dayanand Bandodkar may have initially been for merging Goa with Maharashtra, he respected the people’s verdict and later toiled with a vision and passion towards Goa’s development. Unlike many of today’s politicians who are self-centered, he relentlessly raised and pursued issues concerning the backward, down-trodden, and neglected communities. Leaders of his integrity, honesty and commitment we may now never see in today’s shoddy arena of political pygmies.
Dayanand Bandodkar dared to speak from his heart and always walked the talk. Only a few of such politicians still remain in our midst and will also be always remembered for the good they have done for Goa. About the rest and in particular some of the current rabid Ministers in power who have been steering and navigating Goa down the tube there will be no obituary to write and no land remaining to even raise a Samadhi, leave alone a statue in their memory.
It is imperative that students today should be made aware of the very rich and invaluable contribution to Goa by Dayanand Bandodkar who cannot be consigned as our forgotten hero. Dayanand Bandodkar must be rolling in heavenly abode at the way Goa is being uncaringly mis- governed today.
It is distressing to see and be witness to the continuing rampant destruction and devastation of Goa. It should have been the endeavour of those in power to at least salvage and safeguard what remains of Goa. Unfortunately Goa is getting defaced at a very electrifying speed. Posterity will never forgive the current rulers for their selfish and dubious role in this irreparable damage and destruction of what was once a beautiful Goa, the Paradise of the East.
