Remembering the deeds that built and broke George Fernandes

Former defence minister and Emergency activist George Fernandes died at the aged of 88 on Tuesday, 29 January, 2019, following prolonged illness and after over a decade of his withdrawal from the political sphere. Family sources told Times of India that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Diseases and was bedridden for the last few years; he is said to recently have contracted swine flu as well.

His death is mourned by compatriots who have worked alongside him for four decades, while he held portfolios of communications, industry and railways under various governments.

Overview

Fernandes’s career is one for the textbooks, with contributions that date back to the era of active trade unionism, the rise of the Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) in the 1960s, and a split in the right-wing coalition over Hindutva politics post-Emergency.

As defence minister, a portfolio he held in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government from 1998 till 2001, Fernandes leaves behind a legacy beleaguered with the Kargil War, Pokhran nuclear tests, controversial missile deals with Israel, and financial corruption which resulted in his resignation.

A staunch opposer of the Emergency, he even has an Indian Railways-led strike to his credit, besides a Wikileaks mention for trying to procure CIA’s help in overthrowing Indira Gandhi’s regime in the early ’70s.

Background

Born in Mangalore, Karnataka in 1930, Fernandes was the eldest of five siblings and was supposedly named after King George V of the British empire. He is believed to have groomed himself in Bombay’s Chowpatti, spending most of his youth working in print media, mobilising manual workers, training for priesthood but quitting later.

Shortly after he met socialists Placid D’Mello and Ram Manohar Lohia, Fernandes contested and won South Bombay for SSP in the 1967 Lok Sabha polls, eventually becoming the leader of the party. This was a career-changing move because with this victory, Fernandes had managed to uncrown the veteran Congress leader S.K. Patil once and for all.

In Maharashtra, he constantly fought for workers’ rights, drivers, government employees, at times in association with other regional outfits like Shiv Sena. He organised the now infamous 20-day All-India railway strike of 1974 when he was President of All India Railwaymen’s Federation. According to the Hindustan Times, that historic action which crippled the government, catapulted him to global fame and was regarded as one of the key factors leading to the Emergency a year later. It also brought his connections with the French government (for funds, explosives, and weapons) under the government’s radar.

Fiercely independent, Fernandes was also involved in the Baroda Dynamite Case of 1976, and as a ruthless proponent of local trade, he banished MNC’s like IBM and Coca Cola in 1977 while serving as industry minister under the brief Janata Dal regime.

Tricky to describe

Many critics and historians have come to regard Fernandes as “an unprincipled political operator,” in view of certain diametrically opposite stances he adopted after returning as a Union Minister two decades later.

For example, in the ’70s, he had opposed Vajpayee and Advani’s alliance with the RSS-led Jan Sangh, which later became the BJP. The Janata coalition cracked after they refused to shed their RSS membership, with several leaders like Nitish Kumar and Fernandes himself, founding their own parties.

By the time, Vajpayee assumed power at the centre in 1998, Fernandes who was leading the newly minted Samata Party, readily acquiesced to be a crucial part of the NDA government.

As defence minister for this administration, he sanctioned many nuclear blasts, even though he had been staunchly opposed to nuclear weapons earlier in his career. His clout was all but finished when a sting operation by Tehelka exposed his associate accepting bribes from a fictitious defence supplier, and after a string of attempts to win Lok Sabha polls.

Response

Despite his fallout with Nitish Kumar, who had co-founded the Samata Party in 1994, the Chief Minister of Bihar broke down while paying tribute to his former colleague on Tuesday. The duo had parted ways when Kumar founded his Janata Dal (United) but in 2003, Fernandes merged Samata Party with Kumar’s JD(U).

Remembering Fernandes, Kumar said, “A new party was formed under his leadership and guidance. His guidance has always taught us a lot. His vision has always influenced the way we work for people today.”

“Given his condition, his death is a kind of deliverance for him. It would be my resolve not to forget his guidance and his fight for the rights of the people,” Kumar said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi condoled Fernandes’ death. Modi called him “frank and fearless”, stating that he made a valuable contribution to the country.

When we think of Mr. George Fernandes, we remember most notably the fiery trade union leader who fought for justice, the leader who could humble the mightiest of politicians at the hustings, a visionary Railway Minister and a great Defence Minister who made India safe and strong.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2019

During his long years in public life, George Sahab never deviated from his political ideology. He resisted the Emergency tooth and nail. His simplicity and humility were noteworthy. My thoughts are with his family, friends and lakhs of people grieving. May his soul rest in peace.— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 29, 2019

Prarthana Mitra is a staff writer at Qrius

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