GEORGE FERNANDES SPEAKS FROM HIS HEART

George Fernandes has admirers in every political party; rarely any all India leaders have his stature winning the hearts of even adversaries. A Marxist Leninist of yesteryears now in journalism spoke to me about the moral courage Comrade George Fernandes has and posed me a question on what would he do in future? The question arose in the context of Deccan Chronicle reporting that Sharad Yadav will replace the Convener of National Democratic Alliance. I said it is good riddance. He pressed for my opinion and I told Comrade George Fernandes and Comrade Mulayam Singh Yadav, the socialists would work for the third national alternative. My friend commented that it is your wishful thinking.

A youth leader and lawyer from the Indian National Congress brought me a copy of Nakkeran, investigative bi weekly in Tamil dated December 22^nd, wherein the open speak by Comrade George Fernandes had appeared. I felt it would be appropriate to translate in verbatim the talk about what Fernandes cannot forget in his life

“ My parents John Fernandes and Ausis Fernandes followed the Roman Catholic religion propagated by the Portuguese and as one of their six children I was born in Mangalore. My parents sent me to get educated and they were happy about that. I only half way crossed the education they with difficulties tried to cultivate in me. An incident that took place in that point of time only elevated me later as the leader of Indian working class.

Konkani is my mother tongue and from my 18 th year for the youth of that language I was bringing out a journal titled Konkani Yuvak. In one issue I had written about the double acts of Roman Catholic priests. The priests who read that article were furious and they exhibited their anger not only to my relatives and friends but also to my parents. My parents were unhappy about these talks. Their unhappiness hurt me. Is it wrong to write truth? Can’t truth be told within the Christian fold? Is it a sin? Thousand questions bloomed in me.

In that time Socialists who till day are alternate to Congress party in Karnataka contacted me. The Roman Catholics who accept Pope as their leader never accept truth. They consoled me by telling that Galileo was stoned to death because he told Earth is not flat. Their consolation made me a socialist theoretician. In my brain socialist thoughts crept in and the priestly education I was receiving till then became sour to me. The Christian fathers too were not willing to teach me. Leaving that education apart from my 18 th year I involved in trade union work in Mangalore.

During my trade union work I met a great trade union leader in Mangalore. His name is P.De Mellow. De mellow who hailed from Mumbai had paralyzed Mumbai by his heroic trade union agitations. I cannot forget that meeting with him. The then Congress Government had banned his entry into Mumbai. He sent me to Mumbai to undertake trade union work. To solve food problems I joined Times of India as proofreader and in my past time was carrying out trade union work in Mumbai.

 I spearheaded the Fiat factory agitation in 1957. As a consequence of that agitation I organized a bandh in Mumbai and like De mello brought Mumbai to a stand still. The working class of Mumbai developed a liking for me. They told me to resign the Times of India job. By their contributions I joined law studies and became a lawyer. The same Mumbai people in 1967 sent me to Parliament as Member.

I got the opportunity to move closely with socialist leaders like Ram Manohar Lohia and Jayaprakash Narayan. Since I had contacts with such great leaders and due to my priestly training in my teen age, simplicity became my nature of life. Every day after 10 in night I used to wash my clothes

[It will be appropriate to recall the silly comments made mocking this habit by rags to riches political multi millionaire Dr.S.Ramdass. leader of PMK]

My breakfast, lunch or dinner had no specific time schedule. On the way irrespective of time whatever I get I used to eat. Many times when I come to Tamilnadu two plantain fruits and “muruku” had been my food.

While I was Railway Minister in V.P.Singh’s cabinet they entrusted me the Kashmir affair. I was sent to open dialogue with extremists who normally will pump bullets in any Central Minister goes by car. In nights solitarily when I went to meet extremists they used to ask did you eat? I used to say that you only invited me, hence came without eating anything. This answer surprised them. They gave some black bread slices and black tea. Whole night they were talking with me, and in the early hours they were surprised to see me washing my cloths. They started to trust me and left extremism and joined public life. Without pumping bullets just by simplicity I could lessen the force of extremism and this is an unforgettable experience. At same time I cannot forget the day I gave command to employ dynamite bombs and blast.

In 1974 I was the President of Hind Mastur Kisan Panchayat. The condition of Railway workers at that point was pitiable. Their salaries were very low. There were no Wage Commissions at that time; eight-hour work regulation was not there. Retrenchments and privatization were ruling the roost. In India Railway men remained as bonded labor at that period.

In Center Indira Gandhi dictatorially was suppressing the railway workers tear filled struggles. If our demands were not conceded by May 8 th we declared a nation wide struggle. But on May 3 rd itself Congressmen murdered Mama Malki who headed the agitation in Mumbai, hence struggle erupted that night and strike continued for 25 days till May 28 th. They ordered for my arrest and I went underground. Throughout the country I traveled secretly and was conducting the strike. India history till that day which had witnessed the telecommunication workers strike lead by Nath Pai and Jayaprakash Narayan saw an agitation that surpassed that agitation and Indira Gandhi was frightened by this strike.

I was in Coimbatore Vellalore area in underground. Police came in search of me to railway quarters and with the help of railway workers I escaped from that dragnet. In the concluding days of that strike there were signs of emergence of the dark days of emergency. Emergency later followed. Indira Gandhi ordered to bring me dead or alive. In various disguises I was roaming in the country. I came in a Sardarji guise to Tamilnadu. I met Kalaignar in Marina beach. His cabinet colleagues were with him. An intelligence officer came there and to him Kalaignar asked “ Is it true that George Fernandes is in Tamilnadu?’ For that the intelligence officer said, “ No sir, through Karnataka he has sneaked into Andhra Pradesh, He did not enter Tamilnadu. When he told this in my presence to the Chief Minister I could not control my laughter. See how a policeman is telling lies commented Kalaignar and gave money for my movement expenses.

[On many occasions in his letters to me Comrade George Saab, as we fondly call him had recalled with gratitude the role of Kalaignar during emergency]

In Tamilnadu under Kalaignar’s leadership Anti-Emergency Struggle was strong and at the same time in Karnataka former Chief Minister J.H.Patel and his wife and famous actress Snegalatha blew the railway lines with dynamite and showed their opposition to emergency. Police arrested Snegalatha and unable to bear police torture she succumbed to death. A case was foisted on me for producing dynamite bombs. As a consequence to this Police arrested me in Calcutta and took me to Delhi prison. I cannot forget the conspiracies o kill me in prison that my friends who spearheaded human right causes particularly Swedish President Olaf Palme and world leaders who reposed faith in socialism lent voice for my safety and saved me, which I cannot forget in my life. Today I am sick; my health is not okay, yet I am fighting for people’s causes.

While I was the Defence Minister I sacked Naval Chief Vishnu Bhagat. He hurled many charges against me. One of that charges is that I am supporting LTTE. In the charges he made that alone is truth. Tamilnadu had been my second home. When Veerappan kidnapped Kannada actor Rajkumar I came to Tamilnadu. To protest against Koodangulam Atomic Power Project I came again. Few days ago to get the rights for extracting today for the palm tree climbers I came to lend moral support.

My life is like a running river. Till it merges with the death of sea, this rivers voyage is meant for people.

 [Courtesy: Nakkeran Tamil Journal. Remarks in italics are mine]

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