Panaji: Former Chief Minister of western Indian state of Goa, Wilfred De Souza, who held the post three times, died on Friday morning after suffering a heart attack. He was 88.
“De Souza was shifted here from another private hospital last night. He was breathless. He died of heart attack this morning at 9.15 AM,” said Dr Shekhar Salkar, clinical head at Manipal Hospital near here.
He is survived by wife Grace and two daughters Joanne and Suzie.
A surgeon-turned-politician, De Souza twice served as the state’s Chief Minister from Congress Party. He represented Goa Rajiv Congress (a breakaway faction of Indian National Congress) during his third tenure.
He was Chief Minister from May 18, 1993 to April 2, 1994, the second time from April 8, 1994 to November 23, 1998 and the third time from July 29, 1998 to February 8, 1999.
De Souza represented Benaulim, Calangute and Saligao constituencies before being defeated in the 2007 Assembly election.
He was double Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons at UK. He also received the Dr B C Roy award for best medical man-cum-statesman from former president K R Narayanan in 1996.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar condoled the death of former CM Wilfred de Souza, 87, who died on Friday following cardiac arrest.
Parrikar, a former chief minister of Goa, said de Souza at the peak of his political career “played a crucial role in attaining statehood for Goa”.
“His contribution in making Konkani the official language of Goa is well known. Dr Wilfred de Souza was an outstanding political figure, who served the society with distinction,” he said.
The Uganda-born de Souza was also a member of several political parties throughout his long career as politician, that included United Goans Party, Congress, Goa Rajiv Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and the Trinamool Congress.
Goa has announced a three-day state mourning following de Souza’s death.
