Shashikala Kakodkar
Encyclopedia
Shashikala Kakodkar is a prominent leader of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
(MGP), a political party based in Goa
, India
, that espouses the cause of the Bahujan Samaj (a term which is interpreted variously, but often taken to mean the masses, or the non-Brahmin section of Hindu society).
(Bhausaheb), who ascended to power after the December 1963 elections, following a hotly-contested election which saw the polarisation of the electorate on caste and religious lines. Following her father's death in 1973, while still in office, Mrs Kakodkar became the chief minister of Goa, and continued in power till being ousted by a split within her party in early 1979.
After the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly was dissolved and elections were announced to be held on 1 June 1977, there was a shift in Goa's local political polarisation. A small group of the United Goans Party
(dominated by Dr. Jack de Sequeira
) in the Assembly was dissolved and decided to form the Janata Party. Sarto Esteves' book Politics and Political Leadership in Goa (p 170) says there was a "lot of hesitation till the last minute" in the MGP, which was in two minds on whether to join the Janata Party or continue its separate identity. Since its unexpected electoral thrashing in the 1963 first Goa elections, the Congress was for the first time a bit more sure of itself because of a large number of United Goans (UG) politicians who had joined its ranks.
Then Kakodkar fought the elections from the Bicholim constituency, and was opposed by three other candidates, including Jaisingrao Rane, who had been one of her colleagues in the Assembly, but had left the MGP
to join the Janata Party.
In that election, the MGP
won 15 seats, Congress upped its number to 10, and the Janata Party got three seats, with two going to independents.
Several smaller groups joined in the Janata Party, and with the latter's success at the national (all-India) level, the MGP had to seriously consider whether to continue its separate existence as a regional party. There were a number of rumours about plans for its merger with the Janata Party or one of the other national parties.
But the MGP
led by Shashikala Kakodkar stayed separate, and managed to win a majority—even if a slender one, with 15 out of 30 seats—in the Goa assembly.
Other less-generous critics of Kakodkar indict her of running a corruption-prone government, which was particularly dominated by Goa's then-strong transport lobby, and which saw a lot of her fellow Gomantak Maratha Samaj caste members gain predominance in government postings. Towards the end of her tenure, Mrs Kakodkar's government was hit by two major agitations—one led by traditional fishermen protesting against a policy which saw mechanised fishing eating majorly into their interests, and another campaign by students demanding a 50% bus fare concession for all bonafide students. The latter was largely successful.
While both were, at least in part, stoked by a restive Opposition, the fact remains that these protests reflected the problems of significant segments of the population, which were otherwise ignored.
was ousted from power, and the Congress (U), which subsequently transformed itself into the Congress (I), took power in Goa. Following the erosion of her party and its dwindling strength in the Goa assembly, Mrs Kakodkar briefly left the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
, to found another party named after her late father, the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Gomantak Party, or BBGP.
In 1990, when the Congress was ousted from power following the defection of some of its prominent leaders—like then Speaker Dr Luis Proto Barbosa, Churchill Alemao, Mauvin Godinho, J.B.Gonsalves, Somnath Zuwarkar, Luis Alex 'Mama' Cardozo, Farrel Furtado -- the MGP bounced back to power for a short while, as part of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) coalition experiment with breakaway Congressmen.
Mrs Kakodkar is known for her support for Marathi-language politics, which is one of the major planks of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
, along with the campaign for merger with Maharashtra. The latter plan has since been abandoned, following an Opinion Poll
held in early 1967 in Goa, where the merger cause was defeated.
Speaking to the media in 2006, Mrs Kakodkar argued against making the English language a compulsory language in primary school. She has been quoted saying by press reports: "(Congress) Education Minister Luzinho Faleiro believes in Portuguese culture and hence is taking such decisions that are unhealthy for our cultural values," At the time, the former Goa chief minister was heading the stir of the Marathi Bachao Andolan (Save Marathi Forum) in the state.
language in Goa. Because of historical, religious and geographical reasons, language continues to be an emotive issue in this region, with there being a three-way split among Devanagiri-script Konkani, Roman-script Konkani and Marathi backers.
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1961. In the first elections held after India took over the former Portuguese colony, it ascended to power in December 1963 and stayed on, till being ousted from power by defections in early...
(MGP), a political party based in Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, that espouses the cause of the Bahujan Samaj (a term which is interpreted variously, but often taken to mean the masses, or the non-Brahmin section of Hindu society).
Second chief minister of post-1961 Goa
She is the daughter of Goa's first chief minister Dayanand BandodkarDayanand Bandodkar
Dayanand Bandodkar was the first Chief Minister of Goa after the territory was returned to India by Portugal. A wealthy mine owner, he sought to merge the territory with the state of Maharashtra...
(Bhausaheb), who ascended to power after the December 1963 elections, following a hotly-contested election which saw the polarisation of the electorate on caste and religious lines. Following her father's death in 1973, while still in office, Mrs Kakodkar became the chief minister of Goa, and continued in power till being ousted by a split within her party in early 1979.
After the Goa, Daman and Diu Legislative Assembly was dissolved and elections were announced to be held on 1 June 1977, there was a shift in Goa's local political polarisation. A small group of the United Goans Party
United Goans Party
The United Goans Party was a political party founded in Goa after its annexation into India. Its main aim at the time of formation was to protect the distinct identity of Goa and the Goan people...
(dominated by Dr. Jack de Sequeira
Dr. Jack de Sequeira
Joao Hugo Eduardo de Sequeira , popularly known as Dr. Jack de Sequeira; also known as Jak Siker according to local naming conventions, was a prominent Goan politician and is popularly known in Goa as the Father of the Opinion Poll.Dr. Jack de Sequeira was the founder president of the United Goans...
) in the Assembly was dissolved and decided to form the Janata Party. Sarto Esteves' book Politics and Political Leadership in Goa (p 170) says there was a "lot of hesitation till the last minute" in the MGP, which was in two minds on whether to join the Janata Party or continue its separate identity. Since its unexpected electoral thrashing in the 1963 first Goa elections, the Congress was for the first time a bit more sure of itself because of a large number of United Goans (UG) politicians who had joined its ranks.
Then Kakodkar fought the elections from the Bicholim constituency, and was opposed by three other candidates, including Jaisingrao Rane, who had been one of her colleagues in the Assembly, but had left the MGP
MGP
MGP may refer to:*MagicPoint*Malaysian Grand Prix, a Grand Prix for the Formula One automobile racing series held at the Sepang International Circuit*Manufactured Gas Plant*Manx Grand Prix*Mathematics Genealogy Project*Matrix gla protein...
to join the Janata Party.
In that election, the MGP
MGP
MGP may refer to:*MagicPoint*Malaysian Grand Prix, a Grand Prix for the Formula One automobile racing series held at the Sepang International Circuit*Manufactured Gas Plant*Manx Grand Prix*Mathematics Genealogy Project*Matrix gla protein...
won 15 seats, Congress upped its number to 10, and the Janata Party got three seats, with two going to independents.
Several smaller groups joined in the Janata Party, and with the latter's success at the national (all-India) level, the MGP had to seriously consider whether to continue its separate existence as a regional party. There were a number of rumours about plans for its merger with the Janata Party or one of the other national parties.
But the MGP
MGP
MGP may refer to:*MagicPoint*Malaysian Grand Prix, a Grand Prix for the Formula One automobile racing series held at the Sepang International Circuit*Manufactured Gas Plant*Manx Grand Prix*Mathematics Genealogy Project*Matrix gla protein...
led by Shashikala Kakodkar stayed separate, and managed to win a majority—even if a slender one, with 15 out of 30 seats—in the Goa assembly.
Praise and criticism
Political commentators like Sarto Esteves, author of the book mentioned above, have lavished praise on Mrs Kakodkar, writing: "This (the electoral victory in 1977) in no small measure was due to the qualities of leadership displayed by Mrs Shashikala Kakodkar, the Chief Minister of (the) MG Government. She had proved, by her actions and deeds, that she was a capable leader. She had not only run the administration of the Union Territory successfully, improved the lot of the people, brought about a substantial development of the (Union) Territory in the spheres of education, agriculture, industries and social and medical services, but had also shown by her abilities and behaviour that Goans could ensure political stability and run the administration of the Territory without constant and continual overseeing by the Centre [New Delhi]."Other less-generous critics of Kakodkar indict her of running a corruption-prone government, which was particularly dominated by Goa's then-strong transport lobby, and which saw a lot of her fellow Gomantak Maratha Samaj caste members gain predominance in government postings. Towards the end of her tenure, Mrs Kakodkar's government was hit by two major agitations—one led by traditional fishermen protesting against a policy which saw mechanised fishing eating majorly into their interests, and another campaign by students demanding a 50% bus fare concession for all bonafide students. The latter was largely successful.
While both were, at least in part, stoked by a restive Opposition, the fact remains that these protests reflected the problems of significant segments of the population, which were otherwise ignored.
Post-1980 politics
In the 1980 elections, the MGP, or Maharashtrawadi Gomantak PartyMaharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1961. In the first elections held after India took over the former Portuguese colony, it ascended to power in December 1963 and stayed on, till being ousted from power by defections in early...
was ousted from power, and the Congress (U), which subsequently transformed itself into the Congress (I), took power in Goa. Following the erosion of her party and its dwindling strength in the Goa assembly, Mrs Kakodkar briefly left the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1961. In the first elections held after India took over the former Portuguese colony, it ascended to power in December 1963 and stayed on, till being ousted from power by defections in early...
, to found another party named after her late father, the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Gomantak Party, or BBGP.
In 1990, when the Congress was ousted from power following the defection of some of its prominent leaders—like then Speaker Dr Luis Proto Barbosa, Churchill Alemao, Mauvin Godinho, J.B.Gonsalves, Somnath Zuwarkar, Luis Alex 'Mama' Cardozo, Farrel Furtado -- the MGP bounced back to power for a short while, as part of the PDF (Progressive Democratic Front) coalition experiment with breakaway Congressmen.
Education minister, 1990
Shashikala Kakodkar, also known as Tai (Elder sister in Marathi), was the education minister in this government, and was responsible in a major way for the regional languages-alone, no-English education policy implemented in government-aided primary schools in Goa.Mrs Kakodkar is known for her support for Marathi-language politics, which is one of the major planks of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was Goa's first ruling party after the end of Portuguese colonial rule in 1961. In the first elections held after India took over the former Portuguese colony, it ascended to power in December 1963 and stayed on, till being ousted from power by defections in early...
, along with the campaign for merger with Maharashtra. The latter plan has since been abandoned, following an Opinion Poll
Goa Opinion Poll
The Goa Opinion Poll was a referendum held in the state of Goa, India, on 16 January 1967, to decide the future of the Union Territory of Goa, Daman and Diu within the Indian Union. Although popularly called an opinion poll, it was in fact, a referendum, as the results of the poll were binding on...
held in early 1967 in Goa, where the merger cause was defeated.
Speaking to the media in 2006, Mrs Kakodkar argued against making the English language a compulsory language in primary school. She has been quoted saying by press reports: "(Congress) Education Minister Luzinho Faleiro believes in Portuguese culture and hence is taking such decisions that are unhealthy for our cultural values," At the time, the former Goa chief minister was heading the stir of the Marathi Bachao Andolan (Save Marathi Forum) in the state.
Language campaigns
In 1996, Mrs Kakodkar has been active in a campaign favouring the cause of the MarathiMarathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
language in Goa. Because of historical, religious and geographical reasons, language continues to be an emotive issue in this region, with there being a three-way split among Devanagiri-script Konkani, Roman-script Konkani and Marathi backers.