Goa’s first woman chief minister Shashikala Kakodar passed away on Friday morning, after a brief illness. She was 81. A prominent leader of the Maharashtrwadi Gomantak Party, Kakodkar was the daughter of Goa’s first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar.
Following her father’s death in 1973, Kakodkar was sworn in as the chief minister, and held charge till April 1979, following a split in the party.
During her tenure as Education minister in the early 90s, Kakodar, was instrumental in implementing Marathi as the regional language in primary education and sidelining the use of English, an issue that continues to be a hot topic in state politics.
Kakodkar was the president of the Bhartiya Basha Suraksha Manch, that is currently campaigning against the BJP-ruled government to end grants to English medium schools in the state. Kakodkar’s final rites are likely to be held today.
(source: Indian Express)