Ex Goa Governor, noted writer Mridula Sinha passes away

Panaji: Former Governor of Goa, senior BJP leader and noted writer Mridula Sinha passed away on Wednesday at, just days ahead of her 78th birthday.

Sinha, who hailed from Muzaffarpur in Bihar, had served as Goa Governor from 2014 to 2019. She was also the first woman Governor of the coastal state. As

Governor, Sinha was also appointed as a brand ambassador for the Central government's Swachch Bharat Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in

2014.

"Smt Mridula Sinhaji will be remembered for her efforts towards public service. She was also a proficient writer, making extensive contributions to the world of

literature as well as culture. Anguished by her demise. Condolences to her family and admirers. Om Shanti," Modi tweeted condoling her death.

Sinha's tenure as the Governor of Goa was marked by the novel initiatives she had launched at the Raj Bhavan, which included increased public engagement as well

as a 'Chand ke saath' series, where social and cultural events were held in the open at the picturesque Raj Bhavan grounds near Panaji.

Sinha had also started a cattle shed within the Raj Bhavan campus and had taken the initiative to source a cow and a calf from a shelter home for strays in Goa.

In her later years as Governor, the demands of her gubernatorial chores began to show on Sinha, who was compelled to stop midway through her address to the

state legislative assembly on two occasions.

Growing up, Sinha completed her Masters in Arts, majoring in Psychology, from the Bihar University and later completed her B.Ed. She also taught in a couple of

colleges in Bihar before actively joining politics. Her husband Ram Kripal Singh had served as a Union Minister of State and as a cabinet minister in the Bihar

government.

Sinha formally joined the national executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1981 and later served as the Vice President of the party as well as the President of the

party's Mahila Morcha.

Sinha has written more than 40 books in Hindi, which includes biographies, short stories, essays and novels.

Apart from Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J.P. Nadda also paid tributes to Sinha. "She worked for the nation, society and organisation

throughout her life. She was also an accomplished writer who will always be remembered for her writing," Shah said.

Nadda too expressed his "pain" at the news of her demise.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that to him, Sinha "always came across as a motherly figure".

"It is really shocking to learn about the sad demise of Smt Mridula Sinha ji, former Governor of Goa. She was a tall leader with extensive work at grassroots yet had

an immense passion for art and literature," Sawant tweeted.