Manoj Parab (original) (raw)

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Indian politician and activist (born 1985)

Manoj Parab
Parab during the MWDT protest in 2017
Party chief of Revolutionary Goans Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 November 2021[1]
Preceded by Office established
President of Revolutionary Goans Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 March 2022
Preceded by Viresh Borkar[2]
Personal details
Born Tukaram Bharat Parab (1985-08-18) 18 August 1985 (age 40)Pirna, Goa, India
Party Revolutionary Goans Party (since 2021)
Other politicalaffiliations Aam Aadmi Party (2016–2017)
Spouse Veena Parab ​(m. 2022)​
Alma mater Goa University (MSc)
Occupation Politiciangeologistentrepreneuractivist
Signature
Website facebook.com/ManojParabOfficial
Parab talking about Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude, in response to the latter's video.Recorded 22 March 2020

Tukaram Bharat "Manoj" Parab (born 18 August 1985) is an Indian politician, activist,[4] and former geologist who serves as the party chief and president of the Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP), a non-governmental organization he founded in March 2017, which received recognition as a political party from the Election Commission of India in 2022.[5]

Prior to forming the NGO, Parab joined the Aam Aadmi Party as a member in February 2016, ahead of the 2017 Goa Legislative Assembly election.[6][7] He subsequently left to form the Revolutionary Goans (RG) on 3 March 2017, along with seven founding members,[8] including Viresh Borkar and Vishwesh Naik, whom he had met during his involvement with the Aam Aadmi Party.[9]

Tukaram Bharat Parab[10] was born on 18 August 1985 in Pirna, Goa to Bharat and Chandralekha Parab.[6] His father, Bharat, was a tabla craftsman and repairer, as well as a businessman.[11] Parab completed his early education at a Catholic school before pursuing further studies. In 2008, he completed his Master of Science degree in Geology from Goa University.[12]

Following his graduation, Parab joined various local mining companies such as Timblo, Salgaocars, and Vedanta Resources. However, seeking improved remuneration, Parab decided to relocate away from Goa. Consequently, he found employment on offshore oil rigs located in Mumbai and Gujarat.[11]

2022 Goa Legislative Assembly election

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On 14 January 2022, Parab was designated the chief ministerial candidate for the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly election. He contested the election from two constituencies, Valpoi and Tivim. Parab stated that his decision to contest from Tivim was motivated by two factors: firstly, it held personal significance as his place of upbringing and his ancestral village, and secondly, he expressed concerns about the actions of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which he believed were having a detrimental impact on the state of Goa.[13]

Parab along with legislator Reginaldo, activist Viriato Fernandes, and environmentalist Claude Alvares at the 2017 MWDT protest

Parab's electoral campaigns in both the constituencies were unsuccessful. In Tivim, he secured the third position, losing to the two-term BJP candidate Nilkanth Halarnkar by a margin of 4,363 votes. Similarly, in Valpoi, he obtained the second position but lost to the five-term BJP candidate Vishwajit Rane by a margin of 8,085 votes.[14]

Post election (2022–present)

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Parab during a public meeting, 2020

Following the election, Parab outlined the strategic objectives of his party to enhance its presence by 2027. He sought the mentorship of individuals from diverse backgrounds.[15] In the run-up to the 2022 Goa village panchayat elections, Parab articulated the need for contesting elections at the grassroots level to combat systemic issues and eradicate corruption at the village level. He refuted allegations of being responsible for vote division in the assembly election, asserting that he merely provided voters with additional choices. Parab indicated his intention to address the issue of Goan identity through Viresh Borkar in the assembly.[16]

In October 2022, Parab accused the Goa Congress of being affiliated with the BJP after Olencio Simoes, a leader from the Goa Congress, stated that the Congress party had lost ten seats in the Assembly elections due to the Revolutionary Goans Party.[17][18] The same month, Parab made an announcement to engage with leaders from regional parties across the country.[19] He emphasized his party's commitment to its ideology and expressed his intention to reintroduce the POGO Bill in the state legislative assembly, after it was deemed unconstitutional by the Government of Goa.[20] Parab held meetings with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray in Mumbai.[21]

In a 2022 interview with Outlook, Parab recounted his personal experience, highlighting the challenges faced by many Goans when it comes to property ownership. He mentioned that he and his family lived in Colvale on a rental basis for around 20–25 years before relocating to Bicholim, where they purchased their own apartment.[11]

On 9 December 2022, Parab married Veena Parab,[22] a homemaker, in a private ceremony.[23][24]

In 2022, political analyst Prakash Kamat expressed reservations about some of Parab's ideologies, suggesting that they may not align with the constitutional principles. Kamat highlighted Parab's POGO Bill, which advocates granting exclusive rights to Goans. He further added, that Parab has managed to generate enthusiasm among the people, as evidenced by his significant vote share in the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly election. This has led to discussions for Parab to be taken seriously as a political figure.[7]

  1. ^ "Contribution Report of Revolutionary Goans Party" (PDF). Election Commission of India.
  2. ^ "Meet the visionary minds behind Revolutionary Goan Party". RGP Official. 12 July 2023. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  3. ^ "HC quashes notice issued by deputy collector". The Navhind Times. 9 February 2021.
  4. ^ Kamat, Prakash (30 December 2017). "Opposition to Parrikar's letter grows". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Finally, EC recognises RG as political party". The Goan EveryDay. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b "NORTH GOA RGP LS CANDIDATE: MANOJ PARAB". The Goan EveryDay. Archived from the original on 3 April 2024. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b Kumar, Krishna (12 March 2022). "Manoj Parab's Revolutionary Goans rides local sentiment to win third highest vote share in Goa". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Politics of Revolutionary Goans Party". The Navhind Times. 14 March 2022. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Inspired by freedom fighter grandfather, Viresh Borkar chose revolutionary path". The Times of India. 19 March 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Candidate details". Election Commission of India. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  11. ^ a b c Nagvenkar, Mayabhushan (18 February 2022). "Shifting The Goalposts: A Young Politician's Battle To Save Goa And Its Way Of Life". Outlook. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  12. ^ Phadke, Manasi (18 March 2022). "We are fire, but not 'Raj Thackeray': The Revolutionary Goans who outdid AAP, TMC in state poll". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  13. ^ Franco, Velanie (14 January 2022). "Manoj Parab declared RG's chief minister candidate". Gomantak Times. Archived from the original on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Goa General Legislative Election 2022". Election Commission of India. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  15. ^ "RG eyes 2027, aims to contest all polls in Goa". The Times of India. 13 March 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  16. ^ "RGP sounds the bugle for panchayat polls". The Navhind Times. 10 July 2022. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  17. ^ Hub, Goa News (6 October 2022). "Revolutionary Goans is not for sale: Manoj Parab reacts to Cong offer". Goa News Hub. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  18. ^ Hub, Goa News (6 October 2022). ""Congress is ready for alliance with Revolutionary Goans"". Goa News Hub. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  19. ^ "IT WILL BE BJP V/S RGP IN 2027: MANOJ PARAB". www.prudentmedia.in. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  20. ^ "Govt dumps POGO bill after Law Dept terms it as unconstitutional". The Goan EveryDay. Retrieved 9 March 2026.
  21. ^ "We are committed to bring back POGO Bill: Parab". The Navhind Times. 30 October 2022. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  22. ^ "GAME ON! RGP MAKES BOLD ENTRY INTO POLL FRAY". The Goan EveryDay. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Tukaram Bharat Parab(Revolutionary Goans Party):Constituency- VALPOI(NORTH GOA) - Affidavit Information of Candidate". myneta.info. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  24. ^ Parab, Manoj (9 December 2022). "We only have love and gratitude in our hearts for everything that has led us to this point..." Facebook. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.