Goa’s oldest loyal Congressman Shantaram is no more

The three-time MP was one of the oldest loyal Congressman of Goa.

He would be cremated on Sunday morning in his Cuncolim village.

72-year old Shantaram had started participating in politics as a student Congressman since the second Assembly election of Goa in 1967 at the age of 21 and was in active politics for the last 46 years since 1972.

He was the president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee till last month.

He was married to Mumbai’s leading lawyer Ujjwal Nikam’s sister Beena and is also survived by his son Archit.

His wife Beena is also very active in Mahila Congress.

Shantaram was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1984 from North Goa.

He was then elected as the Rajya Sabha MP twice, in 2005 and then 2011, for 12 years.

He had also tried his luck in Assembly election in 1994 from Cuncolim, but could not win. 

Being a lawyer, Shantaram Naik was known for his articulation on several issues of national importance though Konkani and Goa were always close to his heart.

He was also the President of the All India Konkani Parishad held at Ernakulam in Kerala in Feb 2008.

Several national leaders across the party lines paid tributes to him on Twitter.

They included Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, former BJP national vice-president Kalraj Mishra, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and NCP leader Praful Patel. 

Hundreds of people paid a visit to Shantaram’s Madgao house since Friday morning and paid tributes to him.

His funeral will leave from his Cuncolim residence on Sunday morning at 11 o’clock.