Mangalore:The Parishioners of St Francis Xavier Church, Bejai and the people of goodwill intend to commemorate the 2nd death anniversary of our National leader Padma Vibhushanlate Mr George Fernandes on Friday, 29th January 2021.

We intend to offer prayers in Bejai Church at 5.00 p.m. followed by a visit to the grave site at 5.45 p.m. and thereafter a condolence meeting will be held from 6.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. in Bejai Church hall. We cordially invite the public and admirers of late Mr George Fernandes to attend this memorial service and the condolence meeting.

Most Rev. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza (Bishop Emeritus, Diocese of Mangalore),  Michael Fernandes (B/o Late Mr George Fernandes), Diwakar Pandeshwar (Mayor, Mangaluru City Corporation), J.R. Lobo (Ex-MLA Mangaluru South Constituency), Ivan D’Souza (Ex-MLC Karnataka Legislative Assembly), Rev. Dr J. B. Saldanha (Parish Priest, St Francis Xavier Church, Bejai),  Sudhir Shetty Kannuru (Corporator), Mr Lancelot Pinto (Corporator),  Shakila Kava (Corporator), Manohar Shetty (Corporator),  Jayanth Anchan (Corporator), Sashidar Hegde (Corporator),  Ashok Pinto (Vice-President, Parish Pastoral Council, Bejai),  Preethi Gomes (Secretary, Parish Pastoral Council, Bejai), were present as special invitees and guests.

Late Mr George Fernandes was born on 3rdJune 1930 in Bejai, Mangalore. He had his early education here in Mangalore. He began his carrier at the age of 19, organizing exploited workers in the road transport industry and in the hotels and restaurants in Mumbai. Later he moved to Mumbai where he came in contact with veteran union leader Placid D’Mello, and the socialist Ram Manohar Lohia, who had the greatest influences on his life. Later, he joined the socialist trade union movement.

He emerged as a key figure in the Bombay labour movement in the early 1950s and was the central figure in strengthening the trade union movement in Bombay. Because of his fight for justice he served many prison terms.

He served as a member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation from 1961 to 1968.He first contested Lok Sabha election in 1967 as a socialist, and defeated the Congress stalwart Mr S. K. Patil.He contested from Muzaffarpur, Bihar in 1977 while still in jail, as a Janata Party candidate, and won. He served as industry minister in the Morarji Desai government.

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.In 1989 and 1991, he shifted back to Bihar and won both times from Muzaffarpur as Janata Dal candidate.

In 1994,  George Fernandes left Janata Dal and formed Samata Party which allied with BJP.In 1996 and 1998 elections, he won from Nalanda as Samata Party candidate. Samata Party merged with Janata Dal (United) and he won again from Nalanda in 1999.

In 2004 he won from Muzaffarpur. Later in 2009 he was elected to the Rajya Sabha.It was in December 1989 Mr George Fernandes took over as the country’s Railway Minister. During his tenure the Konkan Railway project was approved and it was completed in a record short period of 7 years. The first train on the completed track of the Konkan railway was flagged off on the Republic Day, 26thJanuary 1998.

George Fernandes served as the Defence Minister of Indiaduring 1998–2004 in the Vajpayee led NDA government. It was during his times Kargil war was fought.

Here are some of his exceptional qualities that we recall today:

  • Mr George Fernandes is leader of the down trodden. He understood the woes and worries of the masses.
  • He was charismatic trade union leader, a hero for the underprivileged masses whose rights he fought for.In Mumbai, he led the taxi drivers’union and later as head of the railway employees’ union in 1974, he called on its 1.4 million workforce to strike and brought the service to a halt for days.
  • He was a selfless dynamic leader who was not bothered about his personal career rather took people into confidence and promoted leadership among young adults.
  • His personality was filled with the spirit of nationalism beyond partisan politics. We would hardly find any leader of his caliber at the national level who only thought of the wellbeing of the country.
  • He was a clean man who stayed away from any sort of corruption. He remained truthful to the government which was a coalition of 27 national and local parties.

Rev. Dr J. B. Saldanha (Parish Priest, St Francis Xavier Church, Bejai),  Ashok Pinto (Vice-President, Parish Pastoral Council, Bejai), Preethi Gomes (Secretary, Parish Pastoral Council, Bejai),  Vivian Siqueira (Secretary, Media Cell, Bejai Church),  Ronald D’Silva (Vice-President, Catholic Sabha, Bejai Unit) were present at the Press Conference.