“From being chief minister to becoming India’s Defence minister is like an adventure,” Parrikar said while launching the book ‘Adventure…Sports and Beyond’ Saturday morning.
Praising the discipline in the army, the Union Minister said discipline is an issue with Goans, but that does not mean Goans are not disciplined. “We don’t brag about discipline. In the army, discipline is a must. I am not that disciplined,” he said adding, “I had no background about the Ministry at all but had some technical knowledge.”
The former chief minister was inducted in the Narendra Modi led cabinet in November last year.
Parrikar said it took him almost three months to study the hierarchy in the armed forces. “I did not know the ranks in the army. Actually for me understanding hierarchy itself was a problem. I took three months to understand which officer is at which level,” the minister said.
Parrikar, who visits Goa on weekends, said he gave up unwanted protocols which were offered to him as a Defence minister. “After becoming the Defence Minister, whenever I used to come to Goa, the officials of the Army, Indian and others, were standing at the airport to receive me. It is a protocol. I am not used to it,” he said.
The minister said that he had to issue a formal order asking the officers not to receive him in Goa and Mumbai.
Parrikar was speaking in the presence of Goa State Legislative Assembly Speaker Rajendra Arlekar, eminent historian Shiv Shahir Babasaheb Purandare and founder editor of Adventure and Outdoors Media Pvt Ltd Prasad Purandare.
