Defence Minister who fits the boots

 On Wednesday, when Manohar Parrikar flew home the first time as Defence Minister on a ‘part private, part official’ visit, it was on an economy ticket in a regular flight. As the country’s Raksha Mantri he could have requisitioned the IAF’s VVIP Embraer executive jet.

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Though worried about his security, for officials Parrikar’s simple ways have come as a pleasant surprise. For those familiar with his unassuming ways, it is a matter of course. Neena Naik, vice-president of the BJP’s Goa unit, says Parrikar did not use most privileges that come with the chief minister’s post. “He has few demands. I am sure the shirt he was wearing at the swearing-in ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan must have been worn on several occasions in Goa,” she says.

Many liken his rumpled, bush-shirted look to the ‘common man’ played by Amol Palekar in the Seventies and Eighties. He may have to change his ways in his new role, but Parrikar is sure he would use special IAF aircraft only when visiting areas like Siachen, Tawang or Kashmir.

The IIT graduate, who comes from the same RSS lineage as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with who he shares a good rapport, has a political and administrative acumen that could well make him the new ‘Mr Indispensible’ for his party.

BJP leader Shrikant Sharma recalls calling on him ahead of the BJP’s executive at Goa in 2013: “We were surprised when we entered his office—simple with absolutely no trappings of a CMO. Later, he took us out for lunch to an ordinary restaurant. ‘The food is good here,’ he told us. We sat amid other guests, without him seeking any special attention.”

Hands-on CM

At the same conclave, the Goa CM, umbrella in hand, was also seen doubling as a conductor, helping the driver of a bus manoeuvre his vehicle inside a hotel’s premises. Bureaucrats and services officers in the Defence Ministry who attended the intense briefing sessions in his first two days are talking of his quick grasp of complicated matters. With Parrikar known to work 16-17 hours a day, officials in Goa have warned Delhiwallas to be prepared for long hours.

Salt of the sea

Like all Goans, he loves fish curry, king prawns and Goa — a reason given for why he did not want to move out.

Parrikar belongs to a family of Goud Saraswat Brahmins (the powerful minority that decided the fate of modern Goa, politically and economically) that ran a grocery shop at Maupasa. He joined the Sangh while still in school and became the ‘mukhya shikshak’ by the time he finished. He went through a tough period when just a couple of months before his becoming chief minister for the first time he lost his wife Medha to cancer in 1999. “He dedicated himself completely to work and bringing up his two sons,” according to an associate.

Goa to Delhi

Parrikar’s third stint in Goa saw him face allegations of U-turns on critical issues — removal of casinos, mining and real estate lobbies. He leaves behind a turbulent party in Goa, which successor Lakshmikant Parsekar may find difficult to manage. However, the shift to Delhi was not something he could have put off any longer. Apparently he was shortlisted for Delhi when Modi was putting together his Cabinet in May.

Ahead of the recent Cabinet expansion there was also speculation that Parrikar might land Home or Finance. These may have just been rumours, but it does speak about the trust Modi and the Sangh place in Parrikar. The buzz is he is expected to provide support to Modi in the power corridors of the Capital, dominated as they were by seasoned BJP politicians like Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj.

“He is one of the few people Modi can confide in,” says a leader. “In May, when he cited family and political reasons while asking to stay in Goa, he was given three months to settle all issues and shift to Delhi. He may now emerge first among equals after Modi.”

Parrikar is also known to speak his mind. He pitched for Modi as PM—the first among senior BJP leaders to do so while others waited for cues—but did not shy away from speaking on the Gujarat riots. He said in an interview that he would have handled the 2002 riots better. Parrikar also likened L.K. Advani to “rancid pickle” at a time when the veteran leader was all that the BJP had.

Challenges

Other than the challenges within the party, many believe managing a small state like Goa can hardly be of help in a ministry such as Defence, with a budget allocation of Rs 2.3 lakh crore.

He will have to deal with the dynamics and complexities of the ministry and also tackle difficult international issues—for instance demarcation of the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control, pushed after the Modi-Xi Jinping meeting in September.

Then there is the Indian Ocean, the power play between New Delhi and Beijing in finding a military toehold in smaller countries and the perpetual tension with Pakistan. International forces are set to pull out of Afghanistan in December, which will change the dynamics in Kashmir.

Parrikar will also need to focus on revamping the acquisition process for weapons, aircraft, warships, submarines and artillery guns and balance it with the PM’s new thrust on “Make in India”.

His admirers believe he is “perfect for the job”. “He is sharp, in control and meticulous with details, in fact almost a dictator like Modi. Of course, it would not be possible without the confidence of the PM,” they say. The bottom line is, if Parrikar could handle a politically difficult state like Goa, and has the backing of Modi and the Sangh, he can handle anything.