Probably to dissuade and keep late Manohar Parrikar’s elder son Utpal Parrikar away from venturing into State politics, the BJP has appointed him as a member on that insignificant National Board for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (NBMSME). This board established and notified on 15th May 2007 consists of 47 members of which 18 are Ex-officio members with 29 other members of which Utpal Parrikar is now one, with tenure of two years.
One of the functions of this Board which is supposed to meet every three months is to examine the factors affecting the promotion and development of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and review the policies & programmes of the Central Government with regard to facilitating the promotion & development while enhancing the competitiveness of these enterprises. Will this entire inconsequential role be of any interest to Utpal Parrikar? It may not be in tune with his ambitions. Given that Utpal Parrikar has been showing keen interest in Goa’s political affairs and Panaji in particular, it remains to e seen whether he will swallow this carrot thrown at him to keep him at bay from the State. His calm composure is an invaluable asset if he contemplates immersing himself in public life. Utpal may be young but his comments and reactions though sharp are well guarded. Having not been exposed to politics during his father’s innings, only time will tell how he swims with the political tides which at times can be rough and turbulent. The very fact that he has kept in touch with his father’s grass root workers, more particularly in Panaji, it may be difficult for the BJP to distract or dislodge, leave aside uproot the former Chief Minister’s son from Goa’s capital city. It will have to be seen whether the BJP has misread Utpal’s mind and how he plans to Navigate Goa’s political waters of which he has shown no inclination to stay away from. Being young, Utpal may not be a Man in a hurry but the BJP for sure cannot afford to sideline or take Manohar Parrikar’s heir for granted. It remains to be seen for how long Utpal bides his time and uses this opportunity as a stepping stone to achieving his goal and usurping the BJP’s token attempts to steer him away from following in his father’s footsteps. With the current low profile role that he is playing, Utpal Parrikar must be cautiously gauging all his options, but a Board meeting in Delhi once every three months may be of no interest to him while his heart and mind is in the land of Fish, Frolic and Fun while he charts and wades through his political voyage ahead. The idiom ‘’the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’’ may well come to fruition and haunt the BJP once Utpal makes his move. For now, he is calmly taking the advice of Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of America ‘Take time for all things; great haste makes great waste’! Aires Rodrigues Advocate High Court C/G-2, Shopping Complex Ribandar Retreat, Ribandar – Goa – 403006 Mobile No: 9822684372 Office Tel No: (0832) 2444012 Email: airesrodrigu...@gmail.com Or airesrodrig...@yahoo.com You can also reach me on Facebook.com/ AiresRodrigues Twitter@rodrigues_aires www.airesrodrigues.com