Team Herald

MARGAO: Noted educationist who towered over the education field in Goa overall and in Salcete in particular for the last many years, Bhiku Pai Angle passed away today at the age of 93 leaving behind a rich legacy of contribution towards literacy and social service.

Born at Borim on November 12, 1924, Bhiku has taught for 35 years and has been active in the field of education for the last 66 years. He taught in a public school in Nashik for six years and subsequently was the principal of a high school and junior college in Nashik. Incidentally, he was a founder member of the Vidya Vinay Sabha that started the first night school in Mumbai in 1947.

He is a recipient of various awards including the Maharashtra Teachers Award, Best Teacher’s Award and Best Principal Award in Nashik.

He was the executive secretary of Vidya Vikas Mandal that runs the Institute of Management Training and Research, G R Kare College of Law, RMS Higher Secondary School and Damodar College of Commerce and Economies in Margao.

He was a member of the Education Council of Government of Goa besides being a member of the Goa, Daman & Diu Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board for 8 successive years. 

He was also a member of the coordination committee of the Education Department of Goa.

Bhiku was also a very active sportsman and was declared the school champion for three consecutive years when he was schooling. He also has the distinction of bagging 11 medals in one athletic meet and played football, kabaddi and cricket.

He was a Rotarian and also life member of the Goa Hindu Association and Gomant Seva Sangh based in Vile Parle Mumbai. Besides he was conferred the highest honorary membership of the Gomantak Marathi Academy and was the working president of the 22nd Akheel Gomantak Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held at Margao in 1996.

In his younger days Bhiku was a member and volunteer for Swastik League Ambulance Service in Bombay that used to take the injured and dead during the freedom struggle and in 1944 he attended to 100 such cases in one month.

Bhiku acted and directed many Marathi and English plays and was awarded the literary award by Kala Academy for a Marathi play written by him. He retired from the stage in 2000 and earlier adjudged various competition including the State Dramatic Competitions organized by Maharashtra Government.

He has also written Marathi plays, Konkani one act plays, essays and various books. In fact he used to regularly write for the various publications in Goa.