It was May 1974 and one man asked 17 lakh Railway Staff to stop working and brought India to a halt for twenty days.
“always for the people and never with the establishment”.
This is how one can tell about George Fernandes in a single sentence, and that was his clout.
#Jayanti
“always for the people and never with the establishment”.
This is how one can tell about George Fernandes in a single sentence, and that was his clout.
#Jayanti
Fernandes was already an iconic anti-establishment figure when he organised the strike of Indian Railway workers in 1974, which was possibly one of the reasons Mrs Gandhi declared the Emergency.
Before that, he had made a name for himself as an organiser of strikes that would
Before that, he had made a name for himself as an organiser of strikes that would
bring Bombay to a halt.
George Fernandes is arguably the most important non-Congress and non-Hindutva politician in post-Independence India.
Often described as a rebel, he pursued every cause he took up with passionate devotion, heedless of the many ups & downs in his life.
George Fernandes is arguably the most important non-Congress and non-Hindutva politician in post-Independence India.
Often described as a rebel, he pursued every cause he took up with passionate devotion, heedless of the many ups & downs in his life.
From the early years of fighting for the rights of dock and municipal workers of Bombay through the Emergency, which he resisted by going underground, to his last private decade as a bed-ridden Alzheimer's patient, his fights were always persistent and single-handed.
In the aftermath of Godhra, George, a Christian in NDA Govt, backed the CM Modi with a reason.
Fernandes, was born in Mangalore and he had the memory of the grievance that his community suffered at the hands of Tipu Sultan, according to Rahul Ramagundam who wrote his biography.
Fernandes, was born in Mangalore and he had the memory of the grievance that his community suffered at the hands of Tipu Sultan, according to Rahul Ramagundam who wrote his biography.
When 19-year-old George associated himself with Socialist Party in 1949 in Mangalore, he was initially given the charge of relatively smaller workers’ unions of the town. The teenager’s growing enchantment with the socialist movement, however, incurred the wrath of his father.
As Rahul Ramagundam observes, “Trade union work across the world was a communist activity, which was anti-religion and therefore anathema to a Catholic family like his. And from that point on, the disagreements became unbearable and led eventually to George’s ouster from home.”
Why BJP?
A very young Sushma Swaraj was the only lawyer who had the courage to defend Fernandes, who was jailed in brutal conditions for the remainder of the Emergency.
Fernandes had in interviews explained his alliance as part of his old anti-Congress plank and politics,
A very young Sushma Swaraj was the only lawyer who had the courage to defend Fernandes, who was jailed in brutal conditions for the remainder of the Emergency.
Fernandes had in interviews explained his alliance as part of his old anti-Congress plank and politics,
even if many fellow travellers had an issue over the extrapolation of that politics landing at the door of the Sangh Parivar.
Ramagundam says that the anti-Congressism was driven partially “from a personal history of having suffered at the hands of its various governments.”
Ramagundam says that the anti-Congressism was driven partially “from a personal history of having suffered at the hands of its various governments.”
He was “fixated on both the Congress & its seemingly invulnerable dynasty.” For Fernandes, the personal became political.
This was also largely motivated by his desire to fight for the old Janata Party’s social constituency of backward castes in association with Nitish Kumar,
This was also largely motivated by his desire to fight for the old Janata Party’s social constituency of backward castes in association with Nitish Kumar,
founding the Samata Party in 1994.
The Samata Party joined the NDA led by Vajpayee, with Fernandes holding the defence portfolio for the full term of the government, in the course of which the erstwhile crusader against corruption himself was accused by the Tehelka exposures.
The Samata Party joined the NDA led by Vajpayee, with Fernandes holding the defence portfolio for the full term of the government, in the course of which the erstwhile crusader against corruption himself was accused by the Tehelka exposures.
After the NDA defeat in 2004, Fernandes virtually faded out, marginalised by Nitish Kumar in Bihar politics, and finally suffering from Alzheimer’s for about 10 years before his demise.
What Happened During Emergency, why Nehru Dynasty spits venom on George Fernandes?
What Happened During Emergency, why Nehru Dynasty spits venom on George Fernandes?
On the night of June 25-26 1975, as leading politicians were being arrested, a telephone operator, who overheard some telephone conversations about the arrests, tipped off George Fernandes, who was holidaying with his wife Leila Kabir and infant son in Gopalpur on Sea in Odisha.
George managed to escape seconds before the police arrived. Masquerading as a fisherman, Fernandes travelled to Gujarat, TN and Kerala, organising resistance to the Emergency.
In order to capture George Fernandes, Indira govt arrested his brothers Lawrence & Michael as well as
In order to capture George Fernandes, Indira govt arrested his brothers Lawrence & Michael as well as
his associate, the noted film actress Snehalata Reddy. They were brutally tortured in Bengaluru Jail.
(Read how Snehalata Reddy died, it shames even I$I$)
George grew a beard, disguised himself as a Sikh, taking the alias Khushwant Singh, the first Sikh name he could think of.
(Read how Snehalata Reddy died, it shames even I$I$)
George grew a beard, disguised himself as a Sikh, taking the alias Khushwant Singh, the first Sikh name he could think of.
After travelling through several states, organising resistance against Emergency, Fernandes sought refuge in Saint Paul's Cathedral in Kolkata. A senior police officer in Kolkata became suspicious of this bearded Sikh & caught him.
The Palace Guard (Indira's personal guards)
The Palace Guard (Indira's personal guards)
had issued verbal orders that George Fernandes should be killed as soon as he was captured. But this police officer insisted on getting written orders. This police officer's encrypted "For Your Eyes Only" cable to Indira Gandhi was decrypted by her trusted aide NK Seshan.
Seshan immediately consulted, HY Sharada Prasad (Advisor to PM) & dropped a heavy hint to 2 trusted journalists, VK Madhavan Kutty & GK Reddy: "I hope the international media does not report the capture of George Fernandes because it would be embarrassing to the Palace Guard"
Because of press censorship, VK Kutty and GK Reddy immediately tipped off the BBC, which put out a breaking news story.
An international hue and cry ensued, and so George escaped being killed in police custody. Photographs of George Fernandes being led in chains and handcuffs
An international hue and cry ensued, and so George escaped being killed in police custody. Photographs of George Fernandes being led in chains and handcuffs
hit the front pages next day.
The Socialist Crusader, Had Left His Family For A Cause, That To Fight For People, he was instrumental in assisting families of railway workers, taxi drivers, sex workers, mill labourers, political asylum seekers, and Burmese and Tibetan refugees.
The Socialist Crusader, Had Left His Family For A Cause, That To Fight For People, he was instrumental in assisting families of railway workers, taxi drivers, sex workers, mill labourers, political asylum seekers, and Burmese and Tibetan refugees.
IS THAT ALL ABOUT GEORGE FERNANDES? No, he was
THE MAN who envisioned Konkan Railway.
The MAN Who Flew A Sukhoi at his 70s.
The MAN Who Visited Siachen Thrice To Be With Soldier's.
The MAN Whose Image Was Tarnished, Repeatedly Hounded By Antonio Maino & her lap dogs.
THE MAN who envisioned Konkan Railway.
The MAN Who Flew A Sukhoi at his 70s.
The MAN Who Visited Siachen Thrice To Be With Soldier's.
The MAN Whose Image Was Tarnished, Repeatedly Hounded By Antonio Maino & her lap dogs.
The FEARLESS Man Possessed Nothing Except 3 Pairs of Jubba, Pyjama.
The Man, Remembered Nothing When He Passed Away, Not Even The Supreme Court Verdict Which Exonerated Him.
The Shameless Media which castigated him 24/7 didn't tell the viewers & readers of this development.
The Man, Remembered Nothing When He Passed Away, Not Even The Supreme Court Verdict Which Exonerated Him.
The Shameless Media which castigated him 24/7 didn't tell the viewers & readers of this development.
But, The Legend Stays On Forever In The Minds Of Every Patriots.
In a sense, he was #TheBharataRatna
What's Common Between These Names?
1) George Fernandez
2) Lallu Prasad Yadav
3) Devegowda
4) Nitish Kumar
5) Mulayam Singh Yadav
6) Sharad Yadav
They were all followers of
In a sense, he was #TheBharataRatna
What's Common Between These Names?
1) George Fernandez
2) Lallu Prasad Yadav
3) Devegowda
4) Nitish Kumar
5) Mulayam Singh Yadav
6) Sharad Yadav
They were all followers of
Socialist Reformer
Ram Manohar Lohia who opposed Nehru Kaandhan for Ruining our country.
And the most important difference?
Except George Fernandes, everybody compromised and bootlicked the Dynasty loosening their character.
Ram Manohar Lohia who opposed Nehru Kaandhan for Ruining our country.
And the most important difference?
Except George Fernandes, everybody compromised and bootlicked the Dynasty loosening their character.
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