BY VIKRAM NAYAK


People in the port town recall a young Rajendra Arlekar faithfully running his shop in the Vasco market, but hardly any of them would have imagined that this humble shopkeeper would someday rise to the post of governor of a state, the first Goan politician and only the third Goan to achieve this distinction.


From a shopkeeper to a petrol pump owner and from a minister to speaker, Arlekar has come a long way in the field of business and politics.


Close associates of Arlekar since his youth remember Arlekar as a very eminent speaker , simple personality with strict disciplines combined with a sharp acumen for business.

Arlekar comes from a family that has been closely associated with the BJP since the Jan Sangh era and is one of the families in Port town that strengthened the roots of BJP in Vasco and Mormugao Taluka.


Arlekars Father Late Vishwanath Arelkar was fondly known as Dada and had a shop in the Municipal Market where Arlekar spend his childhood assisting him in Business. Arlekar also had a cloth showroom for Bombay Dyeing that he had ventured in later days of his youth.


Arlekar imbibed a sense of strong discipline from his father Dada Arlekar who was instrumental in participating in many of the national iconic and historical movements including the Ram Rath Yatra during the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement that was initiated by LK Advani, AB Vajpayee and Murali Manohar Joshi and Arlekar got attracted to the Sangh at a very young age.


According to his close associates in Vasco, a young Arlekar would then assist his father and other hard core Jan Sangh members for any programs that were organised after business hours and even handle business when his father would take time to convene many meetings along with other members to promote the Party in Vasco and suburbs.


It is belived that once Jan Sangh leaders had arrived to Goa and Arlekars Father was one of the few to have met them with Rajendra Arlekar and Arlekar got attracted to RSS like his father and became a " Pracharak " of the RSS and took up many initiatives to promote the RSS ideologies in Vasco and Mormugao Taluka.


Arlekar quickly rose up many ranks and became one of the main members of the RSS and the emerging BJP party
Arlekar also conducted RSS classes in Municipal garden from 6 am to 8 am on weekdays and 7 am to 9 am to on Sundays to encourage people in the RSS ideologies and still is on a very important post in a RSS ideological school In Vasco.


Arlekar also participated in many events and programs to promote BJP in Mormugao Taluka and is also belived to be one of the hosts to many of Veteran BJP leaders during their visit to Goa or close by locations in neighboring states.


Arlekar now from a shopkeeper and businessman had upgraded to a youth leader with strong principles of RSS with later taking more focus in his life.


Arlekar later started organizing meetings to promote the BJP in Goa and it can be safely said that Arlekar was one of the persons who strengthened the roots of the BJP and his family can be credited as one of the few families who introduced Jan Sangh and then BJP to Vasco by organising meetings and other events.


Arlekar also went on to become the vice president of South Goa BJP .Arlekar was later awarded with a BJP ticket for Vasco Assembly as he was the strongest contender with his strong RSS principles and for being one of the most strongest Karyakarta of the BJP and some people claim that his dedication and devotion for BJP had taken over his love towards business and his chances of being one of the most successful businessman in Port town with Arlekar devoting major time of his day for strengthening the BJP in Vasco

Arlekar successfully later went on to contest assembly elections on a BJP ticket from Vasco and won the seat in 2002 that began his political career.


Arlekar also later contested from Pernem constituency in 2012 and became the speaker of Goa Legislative assembly was upgraded to Minister of Forest and environment from 2015 to 2017
Arlekar was on Tuesday announced to be the Governor of Himachal Pradesh to be the first Goan politician and only the third Goan to achieve this distinction.