PANAJI
Former chief minister Pratapsingh Rane, who on Sunday turned 85, was felicitated at an impressive, nearly three-hour ceremony held at a packed open ground near the Devi Bhumika temple at Poriem in which Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, former union minister Suresh Prabhu and several other dignitaries and industrialists partook.
Rane, best known for his over 50-year uninterrupted tenure as MLA of the Goa legislative assembly, including more than 15 years as Chief Minister on multiple occasions and also as Speaker, had begun receiving visitors at his Sattari home since morning on Sunday.
At the event in the evening, several State ministers, legislators and politicians besides some top Goan industrialists attended. Prominent among those were Union Minister of State, Shripad Naik, former union minister Suresh Prabhu, BJP State President, Rajya Sabha MP, Sadanand Shet Tanavade and Lok Sabha MP Hema Malini.
Shripad Naik in his brief speech described Rane as the architect of a beautiful and progressive Goa while Shet Tanavade said, discipline, tolerance and restraint were the qualities of Rane worth emulating.
"He has contributed a lot for Goa,” Tanavade said.
A documentary depicting the life of Rane was screened during the event where a book on his life titled 'Maker of Modern Goa' and penned by his wife Vijayadevi Rane, was also released by Sawant.
Rane's son and Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who delivered the 'welcome address' and referred to him as 'Saheb', got a tad emotional and broke down while speaking. Daughter-in-law Deviya Rane and daughter Yashodara Dahanukar were also on the dais at the event which saw a massive crowd in attendance.
