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The Wire
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Wire
George Fernandes: A Man of Many Contradictions
This article is part of a series by The Wire titled 'The Early Parliamentarians', exploring the lives and work of post-independence MPs who have largely been forgotten. The series looks at the institutions they helped create, the enduring ideas they left behind and the contributions they made to nation building. George Mathew Fernandes is known as a firebrand socialist leader of his time. He was a priest for a short period, a trade unionist, agriculturist, political activist, human rights activist, parliamentarian and journalist, all rolled into one. He led the famous railway strike involving 1.5 million rail workers in 1974, when the entire nation was brought to a halt. As the chairman of the Socialist Party of India, minister of communications, minister of industry, minister of railways and minister of defence, Fernandes was full of surprises and contradictions. When he was a Union minister in the Morarji Desai government, he defended the no-confidence motion against his government in July 1979 for two and a half hours, and then resigned the same day. In 1979, an India Today article described Fernandes as 'novice priest to socialist firebrand, trade union leader to the most wanted man on the run(during emergency), and now, a reluctant senior cabinet minister'. Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty. Fernandes was born on June 3, 1930 in Mangalore to a Mangalorean Catholic family. He did his early schooling at a government school called 'Board school', a municipal and a church school. He studied from fifth grade at the school attached to St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, where he completed his Secondary School Leaving Certificate. He went to St Peter's Seminary in Bangalore at the age of 16, to be trained as a Roman Catholic priest, studying philosophy for two and a half years from 1946 to 1948. Fernandes began work at the age of 19, organising exploited workers in the road transport industry and in the hotels and restaurants in Mangalore. He gathered hotel workers and other menial labourers in the city. Fernandes and a few other union workers led Mangalore's earliest labour strikes on behalf of the workers of Canara Public Conveyance in 1949. The police cracked down on the strike, even resorting to a lathi charge. After the strike, Fernandes came in contact with renowned Bombay-based Trade Union leader Placid D'Mello (1919-1958). Fernandes later left for Bombay in 1950 and faced tremendous hardships. His life was tough in the metropolis and he had to sleep on the streets until he got a job as a proofreader for a newspaper. In his own words, 'When I came to Bombay, I used to sleep on the benches of the Chowpatty Sands. In the middle of the night, policemen would come and wake me up and ask me to move.' Here he came in contact with socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia, who was also one of the greatest influences on his life. Later, he joined the party and its trade union movement under the veteran trade union leader Placid D' Mello and became his disciple. After D'Mello's death in 1958, Fernandes succeeded him in managing the dock workers' unions and other major labour force unions in the city that included the taximen unions, textile mills and mazdoor unions. He rose to prominence as a trade unionist and fought for the rights of labourers in small-scale industries such as hotels and restaurants. Emerging as a key figure in the Bombay labour movement in the early 1950s, Fernandes was pivotal in the unionisation of sections of Bombay labour. As a fiery trade union leader, Fernandes organised many strikes and bandhs in Bombay in the 50s and 60s and soon came to be known as 'Bumbai Bandh Ka Hero'. He served as a member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation from 1961 to 1967 and continuously raised the problems of the exploited workers in the representative body of the city. As a parliamentarian Fernandes was a member of the Lok Sabha for over 30 years, starting from Bombay (present-day Mumbai) in 1967 till 2009, mostly representing constituencies from Bihar. He lost the 1971 elections but contested from Muzaffarpur, Bihar in 1977 while still in jail as a Janata Party candidate, and won. He was made minister in the first non-Congress government in India. In 1979, he resigned from Janata Party, joined Charan Singh's breakaway Janata Party (S), and won again from Muzaffarpur in 1980. In 1984 he fought from Bangalore on Janata Party's ticket but lost to Jaffar Sharif of Congress. He lost a bye-poll from Banka in 1985 and again in 1986. In 1989 and 1991, he shifted back to Bihar and won both times from Muzaffarpur as Janata Dal candidate. In 1994, he left Janata Dal after differences with Lalu Prasad Yadav and formed Samata Party which allied with the BJP. In the 1996 and 1998 elections, he won from Nalanda as a Samata Party candidate. Samata Party merged with Janata Dal (United) and he won again from Nalanda in 1999. In 2004 he won from Muzaffarpur. In 2009 he was denied a ticket by his party, but contested from Muzaffarpur as an independent and lost. Later he was elected to Rajya Sabha in 2009 as a JD(U) candidate. The pivotal moment that thrust Fernandes into the limelight was his decision to contest the 1967 general elections. He was offered a party ticket for the Bombay South constituency by the Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) against the politically more popular S.K. Patil of the Indian National Congress. S.K. Patil was a seasoned politician, with many decades of experience behind him. He was also a powerful minister in the Indira Gandhi cabinet and an unrivalled fundraiser for the undivided Congress party. Nevertheless, Fernandes won against Patil by garnering 48.5% of the votes, thus earning his nickname, 'George, the Giant Killer'. In the early 1970s, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was riding the crest of unprecedented popularity after the liberation of Bangladesh. But soon after, with notorious corruption cases against her, primarily because of the public awareness created by movements like Navnirman agitation in Gujarat and Bihar, her popularity started waning. Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty George, as president of the All India Railwaymen's Federation, organised one of the most notable agitations the country has seen, the railway strike of 1974. This was also the time when Indira Gandhi ordered the well-known Pokhran nuclear explosion in the deserts of Rajasthan. There are political analysts who believe till today that the controversial step was taken by her out of sheer despair, and with the sole intention of breaking the railway strike. The idea was to divert the nation's attention and drum up support for herself. (It is a historical irony that while Pokhran I was prompted by Fernandes's strike, Pokharan II was executed with him as the defence minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government). A politician who long campaigned against the atom bomb was also one of the champions of India's nuclear power. But Fernandes also has a stained and murky past. He will be remembered as the one who justified the Gujarat riots in 2002 and the murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his sons in Odisha in 1999. Once upon a time, he was a proponent of Mahatma Gandhi's politics of non-violence, but later turned to believe in politics of violence and organised the 'Baroda Dynamite conspiracy' – a plan to blow up government establishments to protest against the Emergency. When the Emergency was lifted in 1977, Madhu Limaye was offered ministership in Morarji Desai's cabinet but he insisted on making Fernandese a minister to end his trial in the 'Baroda Dynamite Case' so that Fernandes could come out of jail. Fernandes will also be remembered for establishing the organisation 'Friend of Israel' to support Israel against the Palestine movement. His was a life riddled with controversies and accomplishments alike. A towering figure in modern Indian politics, Fernandes was compelled to leave the public eye at the fag end of his political career when his name figured prominently in a corruption case. The scandal caused an uproar and Fernandes had to resign from his post as defence minister in the Vajpayee government. Any chances of returning to political life were quashed with the onset of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. In his last days, Fernandes was living with her once-estranged wife Leila Kabir. He passed away on January 29, 2019, at 88. Qurban Ali is a trilingual journalist who has covered some of modern India's major political, social and economic developments. He has a keen interest in India's freedom struggle and is now documenting the history of the socialist movement in the country. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
If Purity Had a Face, It Would Be Hers: Annapurna Group Salutes Mothers
This Mother's Day, Annapurna Group released the campaign 'Where Purity Begins', a film that feels less like advertising and more like a moment of reflection. It is not only a celebration of the strength of Indian womanhood but pays quiet heartfelt tribute to something we all feel but rarely acknowledge: the deep, unspoken power of mothers. At the heart of the film lies a simple yet profound insight—purity isn't something loud or glowing. It's something you feel. It's unspoken, yet deeply trusted. Just like a mother. And just like Annapurna, a brand that has stood for nourishment with integrity, generation after generation. Through this video, Annapurna Group not only honours mothers but also reinforces its long-standing commitment to 'Your Right to Purity'. Just as a mother remains a quiet, constant force of care and truth, Annapurna pledges to uphold the same values in every product it creates. Whether it's the food we eat or the everyday essentials we trust, purity, honesty, and presence are the non-negotiables. 'At Annapurna we are committed to securing the consumers' right to purity when it comes to food. This has been our objective since 1952, and stringently maintained in the food products that we have been offering,' said Mr. Subir Ghosh, Managing Director, Annapurna Group.'As we infuse the purity of motherhood in everything that we create,it is only appropriate that we salute all mothers on this Mother's Day.' adds Mr. Ghosh. Directed by Vinay Jaiswal, this film offers a fresh take on the purity of motherhood. Backed by Artha Creations — a Bombay-based production house known for powerful storytelling and impactful productions. Watch the campaign film here: As the film concludes, it leaves no doubt: 'If purity had a face, it would be hers.' About Annapurna Group Annapurna Group is a renowned FMCG firm dedicated to delivering pure and delightful products to households across Eastern India. With a legacy of over 70 years, Annapurna Group is committed to upholding the Right to Purity. Note to the Reader: This article is part of Hindustan Times' paid consumer connect initiative and is independently created by the brand. Hindustan Times assumes no editorial responsibility for the content, including its accuracy, completeness, or any errors or omissions. Readers are advised to verify all information independently.
Business Standard
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
If Purity Had a Face, It Would Be Hers: Annapurna's Salutes Mothers
VMPL New Delhi [India], May 10: This Mother's Day, Annapurna Group releases the campaign 'Where Purity Begins', a film that feels less like advertising and more like a moment of reflection. It is not only a celebration of the strength of Indian womanhood but pays quiet heartfelt tribute to something we all feel but rarely acknowledge: the deep, unspoken power of mothers. At the heart of the film lies a simple yet profound insight--purity isn't something loud or glowing. It's something you feel. It's unspoken, yet deeply trusted. Just like a mother. And just like Annapurna, a brand that has stood for nourishment with integrity, generation after generation. Through this video, Annapurna Group not only honours mothers but also reinforces its long-standing commitment to "Your Right to Purity". Just as a mother remains a quiet, constant force of care and truth, Annapurna pledges to uphold the same values in every product it creates. Whether it's the food we eat or the everyday essentials we trust, purity, honesty, and presence are the non-negotiables. "At Annapurna we are committed to securing the consumers' right to purity when it comes to food. This has been our objective since 1952, and stringently maintained in the food products that we have been offering" says Mr. Subir Ghosh, Managing Director, Annapurna Group. "As we infuse the purity of motherhood in everything that we create, it is only appropriate that we salute all mothers on this Mother's Day." adds Mr. Ghosh. Directed by Vinay Jaiswal, this film offers a fresh take on the purity of motherhood. Backed by Artha Creations -- a Bombay-based production house known for powerful storytelling and impactful productions. *Watch the campaign film here: As the film concludes, it leaves no doubt: "If purity had a face, it would be hers." About Annapurna Group Annapurna Group is a renowned FMCG firm dedicated to delivering pure and delightful products to households across Eastern India. With a legacy of over 70 years, Annapurna Group is committed to upholding the Right to Purity. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Time of India
30-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Delhi-based foundation to donate solar water pumps to PTR
Pilibhit: A Delhi-based foundation is set to donate five solar pumps to Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) to help replenish waterholes during the summer, ensuring a steady water supply for wildlife . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Additionally, to reduce human-wildlife conflict , the foundation launched a project to install 50 solar-powered lights in Selha village of Pilibhit, located at the edge of the reserve's Barahi forest range. These lights deter wild animals from entering human settlements after dark. Manish Singh, the divisional forest officer at PTR, said, "We are prioritising the operation of solar pumps in the core forest, replacing the diesel pumping units as they were a source of noise and air pollution. As the evaporation rate of water in man-made waterholes reaches its peak in extreme heat, the solar pumping sets can run throughout the day in a pollution-free environment." Meanwhile, a Bombay-based commercial bank has proposed signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PTR for the skill development of women in communities near the reserve, focusing on bakery techniques. The DFO, Singh, said that the proposal was sent to Anuradha Vemuri, the principal chief conservator of forests of UP, for approval. "With the increasing demand for bakery products, this project is expected to be a lucrative opportunity for women. It will promote women's empowerment and ensure their self-reliance," he added.
