66 Facts About Shashikala Kakodkar

Shashikala Kakodkar served as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu on two occasions, and was the president of the MGP.

Shashikala Kakodkar is the first and only woman to serve as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu.

Shashikala Kakodkar was born on 7 January 1935 at Pernem, Goa, Portuguese India, to Dayanand and Sunandabai Bandodkar as their eldest child.

Shashikala Kakodkar graduated from Karnatak University, Dharwad, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, where she studied anthropology, sociology and history.

That year, she married Gurudatt Shashikala Kakodkar, and was appointed as the general manager of the Bandodkar Group of Companies in 1968.

Shashikala Kakodkar was a member of the Youth Red Cross Society, All India Women's Conference and the Central Social Welfare Board.

Shashikala Kakodkar built her power base around the Government Primary Teachers' Association.

Shashikala Kakodkar was engaged in social work ever since her return from Bombay after obtaining her postgraduate education.

Shashikala Kakodkar held the portfolios of Education, Public Health, Social Welfare, Public Assistance, Provedoria and Small Savings.

Shashikala Kakodkar succeeded Bandodkar as the President of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and held the charge of both these posts until the 1977 Goa Legislative Assembly election.

Shashikala Kakodkar took over the eleven portfolios held over by her father Dayanand Bandodkar, and created four more.

Shashikala Kakodkar vowed to carry forward the unfinished task of her father, in order to retain Bandodkar's supporters.

Aureliano Fernandes states that unlike Bandodkar, Shashikala Kakodkar emerged as an efficient administrator.

Fernandes further states that Shashikala Kakodkar was less of an extrovert than her father, and consequently was far less accessible.

Shashikala Kakodkar was initially seen as "Bandodkar's daughter", but soon emerged as a leader in her own right.

Shashikala Kakodkar scripted history when the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate Luta Ferrao defeated Dr Wilfred de Souza in the historic by-election in the Benaulim constituency in 1974.

Shashikala Kakodkar's government enacted the Goa, Daman and Diu Mundkars Act, 1975 and the Goa, Daman and Diu Agricultural Tenancy Act, 1976.

Shashikala Kakodkar was criticised by the opposition for alleged favouritism towards her husband Gurudatt Kakodkar in granting transport and cement licenses and tyre dealerships.

Shashikala Kakodkar was accused of giving maximum government advertisements to the Marathi fortnightly Sameer, of which her husband was the editor.

In January 1974, Shashikala Kakodkar's cabinet made Marathi compulsory in all English medium primary schools to the exclusion of Konkani.

Shashikala Kakodkar's manifesto contained the issue of developing Konkani language.

Shashikala Kakodkar promised an efficient administration, rapid socio-economic development, rise in standard of living, balanced regional development, a High Court for Goa and extension of education, health and agricultural productivity.

Shashikala Kakodkar battled against the odds and the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party managed to come back to power, winning 15 seats out of the total 30.

Shashikala Kakodkar successfully retained her Bicholim seat and formed the government with the backing of two independent candidates, Makanbhai Morarji Bhatela of Daman and Narayan Fugro of Diu.

Shashikala Kakodkar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu for the second time on 7 June 1977.

Shashikala Kakodkar's cabinet included Shankar Laad and Vinayak Dharma Chodankar as Cabinet Ministers, while Raul Hilario Fernandes was appointed as a Minister of State.

In 1977, Shashikala Kakodkar's government beautified the Ponda Fort at Farmagudi, Goa and installed an equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji there.

Shashikala Kakodkar spoke about the manner in which MLAs Dilkush Desai and Dayanand Narvekar made irresponsible remarks, took an anti-government stance in the Legislative Assembly and engaged in attempts to destabilise the government.

Shashikala Kakodkar stated in the meeting that if need be, she was ready to sit in the opposition but would never concede before selfish politics.

Belekar states that although Speaker Narayan Fugro did use his casting vote in favour of the government on a few subsequent occasions, the process of Fugro's rebellion against Shashikala Kakodkar may have started on 30 March 1979.

Chief Minister Shashikala Kakodkar called on the Lieutenant Governor but refused to resign and both agreed that the Assembly was the appropriate place to hold a trial of strength on 23 April 1979.

Shashikala Kakodkar was desperately in need of one MLA to tilt the balance in her favour and pass the Appropriation Bill and thus save the government.

Shashikala Kakodkar sat quietly and it was only later that she castigated the behaviour of her MLAs.

Shashikala Kakodkar subsequently rushed to New Delhi with the Deputy Speaker Bhatela, which was seen as an attempt to apparently make the transfer of power in favour of Laad as difficult as possible.

Shashikala Kakodkar called on the President of India Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Prime Minister of India Morarji Desai and the Union Home Minister Hirubhai M Patel probably urging them to dissolve the Assembly and impose President's rule.

Shashikala Kakodkar resigned as the Chief Minister on 26 April 1979.

Shashikala Kakodkar's supporters welcomed the imposition of the President's Rule.

Shashikala Kakodkar's government faced a major embarrassment after the annual financial budget was leaked in the Marathi daily Gomantak, even before it was placed before the Assembly.

Shashikala Kakodkar opined that night trawling and fishing during monsoons should stop.

Fernandes states that during Shashikala Kakodkar's last years in regime, there is a reason to believe that the editor of Gomantak tried to influence the functioning of the government.

Shashikala Kakodkar alleged that the budget leak was a conspiracy against her government and demanded that it the culprits be severely punished.

Shashikala Kakodkar expressed the need for developing Goa without harming its natural beauty.

The independents won three seats and Shashikala Kakodkar was defeated in the Bicholim constituency by Harish Narayan Prabhu Zantye, an independent candidate.

On 22 March 1980, Shashikala Kakodkar stated that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party's Executive had agreed for the merger of the party within the Indian National Congress.

Shashikala Kakodkar stated that the reason behind her joining the Indian National Congress was that she wanted to be in the mainstream.

Shashikala Kakodkar's announcement was opposed by many senior leaders of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

Shashikala Kakodkar aimed to secure positions within the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee organisation for herself and her supporters.

Shashikala Kakodkar was not comfortable in the Indian National Congress and she quit the party.

Shashikala Kakodkar contested the 1984 Assembly elections from both Canacona and Marcaim constituencies as an independent candidate but lost the elections.

Shashikala Kakodkar rejoined the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party by merging the Bhausaheb Bandodkar Gomantak Party into the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.

Shashikala Kakodkar was sworn in as a Minister in the cabinet headed by Dr Barbosa.

Shashikala Kakodkar managed to convince the then Chief Minister of Goa Dr Luis Proto Barbosa and the Official Language Minister Churchill Alemao who too supported the decision.

Shashikala Kakodkar decided not to permit the establishment of any new primary schools imparting education in English, but this policy was not adhered to by the subsequent governments.

Shashikala Kakodkar was elected to the Goa Legislative Assembly in the 1994 elections from the Maem constituency as a Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate.

In 1999, Shashikala Kakodkar contested the Goa Legislative Assembly as from the Maem constituency as a Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate but was defeated by Prakash Fadte of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Shashikala Kakodkar contested her last election unsuccessfully as a Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate from the Maem constituency and was defeated by Harish Zantye of the Indian National Congress.

Shashikala Kakodkar was the chairperson, Goa, Daman and Diu Industrial Development Corporation; chairperson, Goa, Daman and Diu State Sports Council; chairperson, Goa Cancer Society; President, Red Cross Committee and the Working President of the Marathi Bhavan Nirman Committee.

In October 1998, Shashikala Kakodkar was appointed the Chairperson of the Goa Bal Bhavan.

From 1991 to 1992, Shashikala Kakodkar served as the Chairperson of the Committee on Petitions and a member of the Committee on Public Undertakings in the Goa Legislative Assembly.

Shashikala Kakodkar served as the President of the Panjim Gymkhana Club, Panaji.

Shashikala Kakodkar assisted the Goa Football Association in reviving the Bandodkar Gold Trophy.

Shashikala Kakodkar was a patron of many social and religious organisations.

In 2006, Shashikala Kakodkar participated in the Marathi Bachao Aandolan movement during the tenure of Luizinho Faleiro as Goa's Education Minister against making English a compulsory language at the primary level.

Shashikala Kakodkar received an honorary doctorate by her alma mater, the Karnatak University of Dharwad, in 2014.

Shashikala Kakodkar died on 28 October 2016 at the Bandodkar House in Altinho, Panaji after a prolonged illness.

Shashikala Kakodkar was cremated on 29 October 2016 at the St Inez crematorium in Panaji with full state honours.