Purushottam Kakodkar
Encyclopedia
Purushottam Kesava Kakodkar (18 May 1913 Kudchade - 2 May 1998, Delhi
) was a prominent politician and social worker from Goa
. He served as a Member of Parliament in both the Lok Sabha
and Rajya Sabha
.
and was imprisoned for it. He also took part in the Goa Liberation Movement
and the Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Ram Manohar Lohia
in Goa in 1946
. The Portuguese colonial administration deported him and kept him in detention.
After being released from detention in Portugal in 1956 , Kakodkar came back to India. After spending some time with his family in Mumbai, he came to Goa and set up an ashram
in Margao
. The ashram was used to disguise the freedom movement and many freedom fighters took refuge in the ashram. The police soon discovered the true purpose of the ashram and closed it down. He was among the vocal critics of the Salazar administration in Goa. In 1961, he pursued autonomy for Portuguese India but without success.
After Goa's liberation Kakodkar was the head of the Goa unit of the Congress.
in the Lok Sabha(lower house)
, representing Panaji constituency in the former union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu from 1971 to 1977. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha
from 1985 to 1991. During this term he was also a member of Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha during 1986-87.
blamed the failure of the non-violet Goa Freedom Movement, spearheaded by Lohia on the squabbles and ego-clashes between Kakodkar and Ram Hegde.
Kelekar also stated that Kakodkar was once responsible for Mahatma Gandhi having to apologise to the Portuguese. While he was logged in Aguada jail, Kakodkar had begun a fast against the harassment meted out by the Portuguese authority to the freedom fighters. Gandhiji had made a note of this in his paper Harijan
. The Portuguese replied that Kakodkar was not fasting. Gandhiji is supposed to have sent a man, who was a relative of Kakodkar, to verify this. His relative verified that although Kakodkar was not taking any food from the jail, he was getting food from outside. A shocked Gandhi tendered an apology to the Portuguese through the Harijan.
is the current chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India
.
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
) was a prominent politician and social worker from 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...
. He served as a Member of Parliament in both the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
and Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
.
Freedom Fighter
He took part in the Quit India MovementQuit India Movement
The Quit India Movement , or the August Movement was a civil disobedience movement launched in India in August 1942 in response to Mohandas Gandhi's call for immediate independence. Gandhi hoped to bring the British government to the negotiating table...
and was imprisoned for it. He also took part in the Goa Liberation Movement
Goa liberation movement
The Goa liberation movement was a movement that sought to end the Portuguese colonial rule in Portuguese India. It began in the early 20th century and gained strength between 1940 to 1961. It was preceded by many smaller revolts...
and the Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Ram Manohar Lohia
Ram Manohar Lohia
Rammanohar Lohia was an Indian freedom fighter and a socialist political leader.-Early life:Lohia was born in a village Akbarpur in Ambedkar Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh, in India to Hira Lal, a nationalist and Chanda,a teacher. He was born to Marwari Maheshwari family. His mother died when he...
in Goa in 1946
History of Goa
Goa is a small state on the western coast of India. Though the smallest Indian state, Goa has played an influential role in Indian history. Goa was one of the major trade centers in India, thus it had always been attracting the influential dynasties, seafarers, merchants, traders, monks and...
. The Portuguese colonial administration deported him and kept him in detention.
After being released from detention in Portugal in 1956 , Kakodkar came back to India. After spending some time with his family in Mumbai, he came to Goa and set up an ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
in Margao
Margao
Margao and commercial capital of the Indian state of Goa. It is the administrative headquarters of South Goa district and of the Salcete taluka.- Etymology :...
. The ashram was used to disguise the freedom movement and many freedom fighters took refuge in the ashram. The police soon discovered the true purpose of the ashram and closed it down. He was among the vocal critics of the Salazar administration in Goa. In 1961, he pursued autonomy for Portuguese India but without success.
After Goa's liberation Kakodkar was the head of the Goa unit of the Congress.
Contribution to the Goa Opinion Poll
When the issue of Goa's merger with Maharashtra came up, Kakodkar was the chairperson of the Goa Congress. He used his personal equations with the Nehru family to lobby hard for a referendum with the central leadership. According to one source, he reportedly "almost lost his sanity" trying to do so.Political career
He served as Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in the Lok Sabha(lower house)
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
, representing Panaji constituency in the former union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu from 1971 to 1977. He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
from 1985 to 1991. During this term he was also a member of Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha during 1986-87.
Criticism
In his book Panthast, Goan writer Ravindra KelekarRavindra Kelekar
Ravindra Kelekar was a noted Indian author who wrote primarily in the Konkani language, though he also wrote in Marathi and Hindi. A Gandhian activist, freedom fighter and a pioneer in the modern Konkani movement, he is a well known Konkani scholar, linguist, and creative thinker...
blamed the failure of the non-violet Goa Freedom Movement, spearheaded by Lohia on the squabbles and ego-clashes between Kakodkar and Ram Hegde.
Kelekar also stated that Kakodkar was once responsible for Mahatma Gandhi having to apologise to the Portuguese. While he was logged in Aguada jail, Kakodkar had begun a fast against the harassment meted out by the Portuguese authority to the freedom fighters. Gandhiji had made a note of this in his paper Harijan
Harijan
Harijan was a term used by Gandhi for Dalits. Gandhi said it was wrong to call people 'untouchable', and called them Harijans, which means children of God...
. The Portuguese replied that Kakodkar was not fasting. Gandhiji is supposed to have sent a man, who was a relative of Kakodkar, to verify this. His relative verified that although Kakodkar was not taking any food from the jail, he was getting food from outside. A shocked Gandhi tendered an apology to the Portuguese through the Harijan.
Family
His son Anil KakodkarAnil Kakodkar
Anil Kakodkar is an eminent Indian nuclear scientist and mechanical engineer. He was the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy. Before leading India's Nuclear Programme, he was the Director of the Bhabha Atomic...
is the current chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India
Atomic Energy Commission of India
The Atomic Energy Commission is a governing body functioning under the Department of Atomic Energy , Government of India. The DAE is under the direct charge of the Prime Minister.- History :...
.