Media Release
Mumbai, May 17: The Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat (HMKP), which was founded by George in the year 1983, has taken the initiative of celebrating his 88th birthday on June 3 at the Mysore Association Auditorium, Bhaudaji Road, Matunga. Justice M N Venkatachalaiah, former chief justice of India, has consented to be the patron-in-chief of this significant event.
George Fernandes, who was born on 3rd June, 1930 at Bejai, Mangaluru, will complete 88 years on the coming June 3. It is a unique occasion and an opportunity to all of to show gratitude for the selfless services rendered by him to the cause of un-organized workers in the industrial sector, government institutions, city corporations, railways, public sector industries and to the public at large.
On completing high school at St Aloysius College in the year 1946, he joined the Seminary at Bengaluru to become a priest. On leaving the Seminary in 1948 he joined the Socialist Party and plunged into the trade union movement in 1949 and then moved to Mumbai in early 1950. There he organized trade unions for dock workers, municipal and transport workers, hotel workers, industrial workers, etc. He was President of the All-India Railway Men’s Federation.
He defeated S K Patil of the Indian National Congress in the year 1967, in the Lok Sabha elections from Bombay South earning him the title of ‘George the Giant Killer’. During the Emergency declared on June 25th 1975, he was underground for a full year, but got elected in 1977, while in Tihar jail in New Delhi, to the Lok Sabha from Muzafarpur in Bihar with a massive margin of 3.25 lakh votes. He has rendered yeoman services as Union Minister of Industries, Railways and Defence. He also held the important post of Convener of the National Democratic Alliance for about 10 years from 1998. He was instrumental in doing away with the legal requirement of Probate of Will for the Christians in India in the year 2002. Christian institutions such as Father Muller’s Institutions, St. Aloysius College and St Joseph’s Engineering College and many of our religious, social and cultural organizations have benefitted immensely because of the help and support rendered by George Fernandes. The Konkan Railway stands out as a great achievement during his eleven-month stint as Railway Minister in 1989.
George Fernandes is now suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and is bed ridden.
Individuals and organisations, who have interacted with George Fernandes are hereby requested to contribute towards this celebration.
For details please contact:
Michael B Fernandes (acting president, HMKP) at Bengaluru on +91-9880390099
Subhash Malgi (general secretary, HMKP) at Mumbai on +91-9869001860/8356936761