Very few Goans have shone as brightly as Dr. Joseph Leon D'Souza in the Indian political firmament. The 79-year-old physician, who hails from Calangute, has many firsts to his credit, including the unparalleled record of father and son holding the post of mayor of Mumbai(thenBombay).
In 1967, Dr. D'Souza emulated his father, Dr. Alban D'Souza,who was mayor in 1945, in becoming the First Citizen of India's largest metropolis. Unlike in the past when mayors were appointed on rotation basis among different communities, Dr. D'Souza was elected mayor in an open contest.Dr. D'Souza's political life began at the municipal level when, in 1952, he was elected a corporator. In 1961, he was on the Statutory Education Committee, which initiated the Free Milk and Vitamins Project for primary school children.
As mayor, he initiated the sister-city relationships between Mumbai and world's other leading cities such as London, Rome, Stuttgart, Dresden, Yokohama, Leningrad, and Los Angeles. In 1975, Dr. D'Souza scored another first when he became the first Goan to be appointed a minister in Maharashtra. He was given the portfolio of State Minister for Health and Protocol. A loyal Congressman, he served under Chief Ministers V.P. Naik, S.B. Chavan, and VasantraoPatil. Yet another first was added to his record in 1980 when Dr.D'Souza became the first Goan from Maharashtra to be elected to Parliament. He served as member of the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) till 1986. He was honoured with the BC Roy Award, the highest honour for a doctor-statesman, for his public service.
Dr. D'Souza also played a major role in the socio-cultural sphere of Catholics in Mumbai. As president of Catholic Gymkhana for more than two decades he was responsible in building a new club houseand also making the gymkhana one of the leading socio-cultural institution in Mumbai. Currently retired from active political life, Dr. D'Souza and his wife, Dr. Mercia (also a physician), are visiting their daughter,Christina, son-in-law Frederick Rocque, and grandson, Adam, in Toronto. Their son, Dr. Ian D'Souza, is a well-known cancer surgeon in Mumbai.
