Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa bid an emotional farewell to former minister and Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monserrate on Monday as thousands of mourners, including political leaders, government officials, party workers and members of the public, gathered to pay their final respects.
Jennifer Monserrate, 56, passed away on Sunday after a prolonged illness at a private hospital in Dona Paula. Her mortal remains were kept at her residence in Taleigao from the morning, where a steady stream of people arrived throughout the day to offer floral tributes and condolences to the bereaved Monserrate family.
A funeral Mass was held at Taleigao Church in the afternoon, attended by leaders from across the political spectrum, cutting across party lines. Following the Mass, her mortal remains were taken to the Hindu Crematorium at St Inez, Panaji, where the last rites were performed in accordance with her final wish.
Several senior political leaders, ministers, MLAs, former legislators, local representatives and citizens joined the funeral procession, remembering Jennifer as a compassionate leader who remained committed to public service and was always accessible to the people.
Tributes continued to pour in from across Goa, with leaders recalling her contributions to the state’s political landscape and her pioneering achievement as the first woman elected from the Taleigao Assembly constituency.
Jennifer served three consecutive terms as MLA and was a Cabinet Minister from 2019 to 2022, handling the Revenue, Information Technology, and Labour and Employment portfolios. She was the only woman minister in the Goa Cabinet during that period and was credited with several initiatives in her departments.
She began her political career as Chairperson of the North Goa Zilla Panchayat in 2005 before entering the Goa Legislative Assembly in 2012. In 2019, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party along with her husband, Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate, and retained the Taleigao seat in the 2022 Assembly election.
Jennifer is survived by her husband, Atanasio “Babush” Monserrate, and their two sons, Panaji Mayor Rohit Monserrate and Amit Monserrate.
The Goa government observed a two-day state mourning following her demise, with the National Flag flown at half-mast on government buildings and official entertainment programmes suspended as a mark of respect.
