Mangeshkars migrated as Goa lacked opportunities: Parrikar

Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, head of the Mangeshskar clan comprising of legendary singers Lata, Asha, Hridaynath and two other talented siblings, left Goa because of lack of opportunities, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Saturday.

Parrikar, speaking at a function here at the launch the state's Information Technology policy, underlined the need to reverse the brain-drain from the coastal state.

He also said that Goa has the capacity to be home to the IT industry, especially start-ups.

"Only opportunity is required, otherwise we would have Mangeshkars staying in Goa. Why did they have to migrate? Because opportunities were lacking.

"We have a lot of IT talent which is driving the (IT) engine in Bengaluru or Pune. We need to have the reverse brain-drain for the state," the Chief Minister said.

Born in south Goa village of Mangeshi in 1900, Deenanath Mangeshkar left the state at a young age to become one of the most popular singers in the country and fathered the famous Mangeshkar quintet.

"But a lot of people do not know about the talents in Goa. You take any field... whether it be art, science, music, or the armed forces. Such a small place has produced talent beyond its strength and it is same for IT as well," the Indian Institute of Technology alumnus said.

The Chief Minister said that before handing out of computers and laptops to students became a political agenda, he had kick-started the trend years back, in 2001.

"Goa was the first state where laptops were given to students for a nominal price of Rs 500. It was like showering them with an IT logic," Parrikar added.

--IANS

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