George Fernandes “One Volunteer Who Helped George Fernandes During The Emergency Is Today The Prime Minister Of India “

[vc_row][vc_column][td_block_text_with_title custom_title=”SOCIAL ACTIVIST” separator=””]– By Ronnie Rodrigues

George Mathew Fernandes (born 3 June 1930) is a former Indian trade unionist, politician, journalist, agriculturist, and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar- all rolled into one. He was a key member of the Janata Dal, and the founder of the Samata Party. He has held several ministerial portfolios including communications, industry, railways, and defence.

In spite of many big time politicians so called tall leaders, the only hero who began “Revolution’’ in the political system & woke up people from their slumber to fight for their democratic rights is the one & only George Fernendes, a man who was purely other centered and not self centered! He was one leader never amassed any wealth by way of political favors! It needs guts to maintain such a principled life!

George created history by reforming the trade unions at a time when the country was not so forward in positive & forward thinking! Among all the opponents, Indira Gandhi too had held him in high respect for his charismatic personality & impeccable leadership qualities! Had he been in Congress, many big timers (stooges) would have lost their seats & daily breads too! George would call spade a spade! He was so straightforward in his approach that he even never used to let his own party men cross the limits! He was a terror within the party itself! Such was his personality! Konkan Railway was his dream & the full credit goes to him for his “concept to compliance “ ideas & strategies for the same relentlessly ! The rest was only constructed which was an easy job for the government of the day! We have not come across a single politician till today who is even 2% value based in principles as compared with George Fernendes.

“Germany’s Chancellor (President) Willy Brandt & Sweden Prime Minister Olaf Palme had telexed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi not to harm George Fernandes in Jail during Emergency.”

Can you believe it, Germany’s Chancellor (President) Willy Brandt & Sweden Prime Minister Olaf Palme had telexed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi not to harm George Fernandes in Jail during Emergency. During that period George Fernandes was known to be the greatest socialist leader of the world. In fact, one of the volunteers who helped George Fernandes during Emergency is today the Prime Minister of India.

A native of Mangalore, Fernandes was sent to Bangalore in 1946 to be trained as a priest. In 1949, he moved to Bombay, where he joined the socialist trade union movement. Becoming a trade union leader, Fernandes organized many strikes and bandhs in Bombay in the 1950s and 1960s while working with the Indian Railways. He defeated S K Patil of Indian National Congress in the 1967 parliamentary elections from the South Bombay (now South Mumbai) constituency. He organized the 1974 Railway strike, when he was President of the All India Railway men’s Federation. Fernandes went underground during the Emergency era of 1975, while challenging Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for imposing a state of emergency, but in 1976 he was arrested and tried in the infamous Baroda dynamite case.

In 1977, after the Emergency had been lifted, Fernandes won the Muzaffarpur seat in Bihar in absentia and was appointed as Union Minister for Industries. During his tenure as Union Minister, he ordered American multinationals IBM and Coca-Cola to leave the country, due to investment violations. He was the driving force behind the Konkan Railway project during his tenure as railway minister from 1989 to 1990. He was a Defence minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government (1998–2004), when the Kargil War broke out between India and Pakistan, and India conducted its nuclear tests at Pokhran. A veteran socialist, Fernandes has been dogged by various controversies, including the Barak Missile scandal and the Tehelka affair. Incidentally, George Fernandes won nine Lok Sabha elections from 1967 to 2004.

“During Emergency, as Chairman of the Socialist Party of India, he faced prosecution for conspiracy against the ruling government.”

George Fernandes was born to John Joseph Fernandes and Alice Martha Fernandes (née Pinto), in Mangalore to a Mangalorean Catholic family. The eldest of six children, his siblings are Lawrence, Michael, Paul, Aloysius, and Richard. His mother was a great admirer of King George V (who was also born on 3 June), hence she named her first son George. His father was employed by the Peerless Finance group as an insurance executive, and headed their office of South India for several years. George was fondly called “Gerry” in close family circles. He completed his Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) at St. Aloysius College, Mangalore.

George Fernandes was the eldest son of an orthodox family.During the Emergency, as Chairman of the Socialist Party of India, he faced prosecution for alleged conspiracy against the government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He allegedly sought to obtain funding from the US Central Intelligence Agency and the French government to organize underground sabotage activities. US diplomatic cables claimed that after an initial request to seek funding from the French government was turned down, he was “prepared to accept money from the CIA”

George Fernandes has supported and endorsed many secessionist movements and groups. He has been a long time supporter of The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), an organization which sought to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Before joining the Vajpayee government in 1997, he organized a controversial public convention of pro-LTTE elements in New Delhi. In July 1998, he reportedly stopped the Indian Navy from intercepting ships suspected of carrying illegal arms to Tamil guerrilla groups.

Fernandes was also a patron of the LTTE-backed Fund Raising Committee, set up to help the 26 accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. The Sri Lankan government apparently stated that, “the LTTE’s biggest supporter in India is Defence Minister George Fernandes.” He has also expressed support for Tibetan refugees fighting for freedom against China, and Burmese rebel groups fighting against the military government in Myanmar.

George Fernandes is a very active supporter of many Burmese anti-government movements. Quoted regularly on exiled Burmese radio stations, he often criticizes the Janta and its members on a wide array of topics. He opposes the current government’s drive to root out anti-Burmese insurgents along the Burmese-Indian border. During his tenures in office, gun runners were allowed to do business using Indian territories, often as stopovers en route from Thailand to Bangladesh.

He also revealed the infamous “Operation Leech” incident, which resulted in the capture of Arakan Army insurgents on one of India’s islands in the Andaman Sea. He also fought for the welfare and release of anti-Burmese rebels held by the Indian Government. Once, when the National United Party of Arakan complained to Mr. Fernandes of its members being captured in Indian waters, while carrying arms, he issued orders restricting Indian military movements, and all counter-terror / counter-insurgency operations conducted in the region to be asked for approval from the Central Government.

He mentions that several islands in the Andaman Sea, including the Coco Islands, which belong to Myanmar, were ceded by the former Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru to the Burmese, rather than part of the original territory gained at Independence.[/td_block_text_with_title][/vc_column][/vc_row]