Jan 25 (Express India) : A day after three brothers of George Fernandes publicly demanded that the assets of the ailing JD (U) leader be transferred to a trust dedicated to the welfare of the poor, his wife Leila Kabir Fernandes retaliated by telling them to use their own money “to fund worthy causes”.
“Recent discussions by George’s brothers regarding formation of a charitable foundation and distribution of his assets to the poor are highly premature,” Leila said in a written statement issued from Patanjali Yogpeeth, Hardwar, where Fernandes is undergoing yoga treatment under Swami Ramdev. The statement claimed endorsement by her son, Sean Fernandes, currently based in New York.
Taking on George’s three brothers — Michael, Aloysis and Richard — head on, Leila said the “manner” in which they had been discussing their plans seemed to suppose that they “are talking of him posthumously”.
“If they are truly inspired to honour George’s legacy during his lifetime, we would encourage them to donate their own time and assets to fund worthy causes,” she said.
The three brothers, who had claimed the support of their fourth brother Paul, based in Toronto, had told a media conference in Bangalore that Fernandes had expressed a desire to set up the trust and Leila too had backed the idea in 2008.
Leila maintained that she and Sean wanted to see that Fernandes’s money was spent “first and foremost” on his care. Though he suffered from an advanced Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, “he does not suffer from any other significant ailment and could live for several years in this condition”. She pointed out that former US president Ronald Reagan had lived for 10 years after announcing in 1994 that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s.
“There are numerous other instances of people with advanced forms of disease living for several years after their initial diagnosis,” she said, adding, “Sean’s and my sole concern is to see that George’s final years are spent in comfort and in dignity.”
“With the means available to him and with the assets that Sean and I have, I am confident that we can ensure that,” she added.
Leila termed “extremely irresponsible” the position taken by Fernandes’s siblings that the JD(U) leader was “a public personality” to whom people should have a ready access. “As soon as he is comfortably settled we fully expect those near and dear to George to have access to him — particularly his brothers.”