As an MLA, his greatest impact was in bringing tribal concerns into the mainstream of legislative debate, speaking forcefully about land rights, and inclusive development
The recently elected Speaker of the eighth Goa legislative assembly, Ganesh Gaonkar, landed at Georgetown, Barbados, on Saturday, October 4, late afternoon, as a member of the large Indian delegation led by the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to participate in the 68th conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (October 5-12). He sent me a message to thank me because I had advocated the importance of attending such international conferences to him after he got elected. I had demanded that he join the delegation because Goa should not go without representation. Despite the noticeably short notice, he dashed to New Delhi, met the Lok Sabha Speaker, and despite stressful travel, finally, he could make it, and that proved to me that he is a go-getter, a dynamic leader, beautifully portrayed in his highly readable Marathi biography ‘Mi Ganesh Gaonkar’ (I am Ganesh Gaonkar, Dilipraj Prakashan, Pune, February 2025). Soft-spoken and humble, Gaonkar is a good storyteller, and his inspiring story, the journey of his life, is aptly captured by his chroniclers, Amol Bapat and Mayuresh Joshi. Beginning with a flashback and written in a cinematographic style, the 200-page book has interesting annexures rarely found in biographies of politicians in Goa. Gaonkar belongs to my generation, so I could immediately relate to his struggles because, as I turned the pages, the struggles of my father and uncle also reminded me of the similarity of the experiences. Gaonkar’s father, Chandru, uncle Gopal, and mother, Onval, are perfectly portrayed. This article is appearing on the silver jubilee death anniversary of my father. He would have hailed the biography of Gaonkar as a moving masterpiece, sincere, honest, and authentic.
A separate article is needed to do justice to the book, and I would persuade Speaker Gaonkar to get it translated and published in English. There are stories in his biography that remind us why democracy matters — stories that prove power and privilege are not the only paths to leadership. The rise of Gaonkar stands out as an inspiring tale of grit, humility, and relentless perseverance. His journey from the margins of society to the highest constitutional office in the state’s legislature is not just about individual achievement; it is about the transformative potential of democracy when fuelled by determination and hard work. Born into a modest tribal family in remote rustic Tathodi village in Dharbandora taluka, Gaonkar’s childhood was defined by scarcity. His family struggled to make ends meet, and opportunities were rare in the rural heartland of South Goa, where poverty and social disadvantage were part of everyday life. Long before political speeches and Assembly debates became part of his world, he was a boy walking a kilometre barefoot to reach school, helping his parents with agricultural work, working in nearby mines, and learning the value of resilience in the face of hardship. For him, education was not a given but a prize earned against all odds, and that belief shaped the man he would become.
Despite the odds stacked against him, Gaonkar refused to accept that his background would dictate his destiny. He described an exceedingly kind and compassionate priest, Father Cyril, who supported and helped him to complete his high school education. I have not come across any politician in Goa who has written about subscription to Reader’s Digest monthly. Gaonkar saved money to buy the subscription as a student of a higher secondary school, and there was no looking back in his pursuit of knowledge. Then, while managing a job, he pursued higher education at the University of Mysuru, an achievement that was remarkable for someone of his humble origins. Those formative years broadened his horizons, exposed him to ideas of social justice and self-respect, and planted the seeds of leadership that would one day guide his political journey. They also deepened his understanding of the struggles of Goa’s tribal communities, who had for decades remained on the fringes of governance and development. Gaonkar did not immediately make his way into the ranks of power. Instead, he chose to begin his work at the grassroots — organising local communities, demanding justice for mining workers and farmers, advocating for tribal rights, and creating self-help networks to improve livelihoods. His early activism was not glamorous or headline-grabbing. Over time, he emerged as a powerful voice for the marginalised, respected not just for his words but for his unwavering commitment to the causes he championed. Politics was a natural extension of that journey. He narrowly lost the 1999 assembly election but impressed Manohar Parrikar, who groomed him to represent the Sanvordem assembly constituency. In 2012, Gaonkar contested and won the Sanvordem Assembly seat on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket.
As an MLA, he focused on tangible issues that mattered to his constituents: Roads, drinking water, housing, education, and employment. But beyond infrastructure, his greatest impact was in bringing tribal concerns into the mainstream of legislative debate, speaking forcefully about representation, land rights, and the urgent need for inclusive development. The path was not without setbacks. In 2017, he lost his seat, but for Gaonkar, it was another challenge to overcome. He went back to the villages, reconnected with the people, and spent five years rebuilding his support base from the ground up. That resilience paid off when he reclaimed his seat in the 2022 elections with a decisive victory, demonstrating that his bond with the electorate remained as strong as ever. Today, as Speaker, Gaonkar presides over a House that reflects the diversity and dynamism of Goa itself. He brings with him not just legislative experience but also an empathy born of lived hardship — a quality that is increasingly rare in politics. His leadership promises to make the Assembly more inclusive, more responsive, and more grounded in the realities of the people it serves. In an era when cynicism about politics often runs high, his life offers a powerful reminder that public service can still be a noble calling and that the strength of a democracy lies in its ability to lift people like him from the margins to the centre. We are sure that he would make a mark at the CPA conference in Barbados.
(Nandkumar M Kamat, who has a doctorate in microbiology, is a scientist and science writer)
