PANJIM, MARCH 22
The Goa Assembly on Monday condoled the passing away of several prominent Goans in the last three months.
The House condoled the deaths of Shantaram Kambli, ex nominated MLA from 1967-1972 and Shriram Kamath, editor-in-chief of Vishwacharitrakhosh, the Marathi Enclyclopedia of World Biography and the editor of Marathi magazine “Mandovi” He passed away on February 15, 2010.
The assembly paid rich tributes to Prakash Thali, noted Konkani writer and theatre director, translator and the editor of Konkani magazine “Kullagar” who passed away last month.
The House also remember Wilfred Rebimbus, considered as father of modern Konkani music, who passed away on March 9.
The House also condoled deaths of Marathi poet Govind Vinayak alias Vinda Karandikar and wing commander Oswald de Abreu and Ram Niwas Mirdha, chairman of the Sangeet Natak Academy.
The Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar along with Mapusa MLA Francis D’Souza and Shiroda MLA Anant Shet moved the motion to condole the death of the Goan pilot.
Wing Commander Abreu died on February 16, 2010 while piloting IAF MIG -27 near Hashimara in West Bengal. “In his death the Air force has lost a well-trained pilot,” Parrikar said.
The motion condoling the death of Mirdha was moved by the Chief Minister Digambar Kamat. Mirdha died on January 29, 2010. The depth of the messages conveyed in the poems by noted Marathi writer was remembered by state legislators. Legislators who studied in Marathi during their school days recalled the poems by Vinayak.
“He was born in Malvan-Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and died at the age of 92,” said Canacona MLA Vijay Pai Khot.
Aldona MLA Dayanand Narvekar who spoke in Marathi and recalled with sentiments the beauty of poems by the writer. MLAs said that Vinayak’s poems reflected the sorrows faced by society and the sufferings of villages of the time.
Mandrem MLA Laxmikant Parsekar said, even two lines of a poem will require an explanation of at least 2-3 pages. The Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar while remembering the poet, said that as a student he wondered about the dual identities of the poet.
“It is now when you see the poems, you realize his greatness,” he said.
The House also condoled death Goa’s first woman legislator Urminda da Lima Leitao, who represented Mormugao constituency from 1963-1967.
Santa Cruz MLA Victoria Fernandes said that Leitao showed the way to future generations of women as many joined politics after her and became legislators, too.
“She had a love for Goa and approached me during the time of the
Opinion Poll that we must do something for our land,” Fernandes recalled.
She managed her family, her family business and her political responsibilities. She was truly a woman of substance,” she added.
Expressing himself Power Minister Aleixo Sequeira said that Leitao was an admirable person who started her life as an educationist. “The will of the Lord prevailed and she became a young widow who had a responsibility to raise six children,” he said. House today also made obituary reference to late Vijay Kamulkar, Mandrem’s first MLA in independent Goa’s first assembly who died on March 14, 2010.