George Fernandes passes away: All you need to know about former Defence Minister

Noted socialist and senior Janata Dal (United) leader George Fernandes passed away on Tuesday. The anti-emergency crusader was out of the public life for near decade due to various ailments. Describing Fernandes as 'most effective voice for rights', Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Frank and fearless, forthright and farsighted, he made a valuable contribution to our country. He was among the most effective voices for the rights of the poor and marginalised.” 

George Fernandes was a trade union leader who came to fame during emergency. His posters behind the bar became an emblem of extreme suppression by the Indira Gandhi government during Lok Sabha polls in 1977. After emergency, he contested Lok Sabha elections in 1977 from Muzaffarpur constituency in Bihar and won by a thumping margin. His popularity post emergency forced Morarji Bhai Desai to induct Fernandes into his cabinet. Like a fire brand leader, Fernandes tenure as Union Minister for Industries was also interesting. As industry minister, George asked the American firms IBM and Coca Cola to leave India for violating investment norms. He was made railway minister in the VP Singh government that again being remembered for inception of the Konkan railway line.

Born to John Joseph Fernandes and Alice Martha Fernandes on June 3, 1930 in Mangalore now Mengaluru in Karnataka, George Fernandes was a born Kannadiga but his politics has been deeply rooted in Bihar. During the formation of NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee in nineties, George was fulcrum of the NDA allies and held Defense portfolio, a CCS ministry. In this tenure, he is remembered for the nuclear test at Pokhran and Indian triumph in Kargil.