India today mourned the death of a star of anti-Emergency struggles and a charismatic leader of the Socialist movement, George Fernandes.
The 88-year-old veteran leader breathed his last at his home here after a prolonged illness.
Fernandes, who began his public life as a trade union activist, was instrumental in organising the Railway strike ahead of the proclamation of Emergency. Born in Mangalore, Fernandes became a Member of Parliament from Maharashtra in 1967. He was member in the Lok Sabha for nine terms since then from Maharashtra and from Bihar.
He was a member of the Rajya Sabha for a brief period during the second term of the UPA government. He was the Defence Minister of the country in the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and had to resign after the allegations over coffin scam. He was minister in Cabinets formed 1977, 1989, 1998 and 1999.
George Fernandes was also known as the anti-emergency crusader. The Hindu Archives
George Fernandes on a visit to Kargil. The Hindu Archives
George Fernandes addressing the All India Railway Employees' Rally at Beat Club, New Delhi. He was the Union Minister of Industryin 1979. The Hindu Archives
George Fernandes was the Minister for Communications in 1977. During his term the full-time STD between New Delhi and Kolkatta had been inaugurated. PIB
George Fernandes and Jaya Jaitley staged a protest demonstration against the Chinese aggression in Tibet, in New Delhi, on March 19, 2008. File photo
Dr. Gerhard Weiss, the former Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Co-Chairman of the Indo-GDR Joint Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation and George Fernandes exchanging documents in New Delhi on September 28, 1977. PIB
BJP leader, LK Advani and NDA convenor, George Fernandes seen with Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj and Jaswant Singh during a lunch hosted by Fernandes at his residence a day after the President's election in New Delhi on July 20, 2007. File photo
George Fernandes preparing for take off in the cockpit of SU-30MKI before undertaking his historic fighter sortie from Lohegaon Air Force Station in Pune. PTI
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