Team Herald
PANJIM: On Tuesday, when Army veterans were on an indefinite hunger strike outside the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, protesting the delay in implementing the One Rank One Pension or OROP, Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was in Goa busy addressing party workers and “guiding” his successor Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on matters of governance including managing the media and preparing for the municipal elections.
He even found time to flag off a monsoon trek, look at files and then spend time at Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar’s “old” bungalow at Altinho discussing the upcoming municipal elections. You will be forgiven for forgetting that he is the Defence Minister of India when one of the most serious issues of welfare of war veterans dominates the discourse of governance.
He came to Goa on Monday evening on the day when two war veterans decided to go on hunger strike. And he stayed ion in Goa when a third war veteran joined the strike, amidst ten former Defence Chiefs writing to the Prime Minister to share concerns of a serious drop in the morale of the forces
On Monday night, Parrikar met Chief Minister Parsekar, reportedly at Hotel Mandovi. Earlier in the day the Defence Minister was seen at his Goa office at Patto, clearing several files and having back-to-back meetings with State government officials.
Parrikar started his day on Tuesday by flagging off the Monsoon Trek, a rally organized by Goa Youth Hostel. This was followed by an inauguration and address to party workers at a daylong training programme in Panjim, which included a session on media management, where he remarked “The media does not make or unmake a party. If the party is made, the media cannot unmake it. If it is not made, the media cannot make it.”
He then had another meeting with other party leaders on the party’s organizational setup ahead of 2017 general election. State related issues were also discussed during the meeting.
But he was not yet done. After these events got over at Hotel Mandovi, Parrikar drove to Altinho, to the former residence of Laxmikant Parsekar, which he occupied as Goa’s Health Minister to strategize on the coming municipal elections, scheduled on October 25. He reportedly met many local leaders who will be involved in the municipal elections.
He has in the past been criticized for inappropriate trips to Goa at a time when his presence seemed more important in Delhi. For instance when there was a crucial flare up in J &K and jawans were killed he was releasing a book in Goa. The Defence Minister, with his track record, will certainly have a ‘defence’ for this. But his priorities are getting confusing, especially for war veterans.
