PANAJI: Former chief minister Manohar Parrikar’s sons on Saturday provided enough indications that they were not averse to walking in his footsteps after warming up to the idea of continuing their father’s “legacy of service and dedication”.Parrikar passed away after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer on March 17, and since then there has been plenty of requests from well-wishers and BJP workers for one of his sons to contest the Panaji byelection.The elder son, Utpal, has maintained that he would take a decision on entering politics at the right time. However, in their thanksgiving message on Saturday, both Utpal and his brother Abhijaat suggested that they could take the political plunge to honour his “legacy of service”.“We always knew that you (karyakartas) and people of Goa meant much more to him (Parrikar) than even us and this bond was all evident when he passed away. The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example. We will honour his life by continuing his legacy of service and dedication to the state and the nation,” the brothers said in a message posted on the Twitter handle, ‘Manohar Parrikar Memorial’.It’s been more than 12 days since the passing away of the former chief minister, and the family said the emptiness they feel seems insurmountable. But it’s the outpouring of love and support, the family said, that has given them hope and strength.“My father lived everyday with vigour, a strong will and a desire to serve the nation and the state. Till the very last, he was occupied with issues concerning the state. While we have lost a central part of our family and the void created is huge, the sheer number of people, messages and letters we have received has made us feel we are a part of a much bigger family that he has left behind,” they said.The family thanked thousands of karyakartas for their love and affection. “You have been his pillars of strength throughout,” they said, while also making a special mention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had handpicked Parrikar as the defence minister in 2014.“We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his gracious words and message of kindness. We will always remember his unstinting support throughout Baba’s illness,” said the brothers, while also thanking Union ministers, other dignitaries representing various governments, missions and consulates of various countries.The brothers said they were deeply appreciative and thankful of everyone who attended the last rites in large numbers, and “extremely honoured and thankful to the members of the Indian Armed Forces for conducting such a moving ceremony”.

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