Satish Sonak was a truly remarkable gentleman who cared about his fellow human beings, championing the causes particularly of the less privileged and disadvantaged strata of society around him, willing to stand up and dared to be counted where others feared to venture. A true friend and companion of the poor and voiceless
Right from his student’s days Sonak was an avid reader and fiery orator, whether in English, Konkani or Marathi. He also contributed thought provoking articles to several newspapers and, in recent times, interviewed on television several eminent personalities in various fields of public life. Indeed he demonstrated fabulous skills of interviewing — limiting himself to a minimum of verbiage and bringing forth from the interviewee the full range of his thoughts and experience. That showed us, the readers and viewers, Sonak’s intellectual accumen.
Doing justice to his profession as a lawyer he became one of the foremost human rights warriors, taking up many causes such as the rights of women and children, marginalised tribes, the physically and mentally disadvantaged, anti-corruption and the rights of the common man. During the 1979 student agitation for 50% bus concession I was very proud to work alongside him.
Even in death, his donation was the gift of his precious eyesight to another human being. Sonak was indeed an inspiration to all and particularly the youth of Goa who are the only hope for our sinking State.
Sonak led a very simple and humble life. He may have been one of the few established Advocates in Goa who never owned a four-wheeler. After leading a very modest and humble life, his final rites were also very unique devoid of all those age old rituals and established protocol. The great man that he was, Sonak got an aam aadmi’s final farewell, he very much and rightly deserved.
Our true tribute to this great and distinguished departed soul, would be to steadfastly carry on that great vision and mission that our Sonak had embarked on. Let us all vow to carry on the unfinished task Sonak had undertaken to save what remains of Goa.
We will all one day depart this world, but our Goa must truly live sans all this lip sympathy and rhetoric talk of Goem, Goenkar and Goenkarponn. And that would be living up to the hopes and aspiration of our great warrior Sonak who a true Goenkar he always was.
