George Fernandes (born 3 June 1930) is a member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India. He represents the Muzaffarpur constituency of Bihar and is a member of the Janata Dal (United) party. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... , Muzaffarpur   is a city, and a municipal corporation in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Mangalore (Kannada: ಮಂಗಳೂರು, Mangalooru; Tulu: ಕುಡ್ಲ, Kudla; Konkani: ಕೊಡಿಯಾಲ್, Kodial; Beary: ಮೈಕಾಲ, Maikala)   is the chief port city of the state of Karnataka, India. ... , Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Janata Dal (United) is a political party in India. ... For other uses, see Bangalore (disambiguation). ... is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 14th Lok Sabha was convened after the election of April-May 2004. ... , Muzaffarpur   is a city, and a municipal corporation in Muzaffarpur district in the Indian state of Bihar. ... , Bihar (Hindi: बिहार, Urdu: بہار, IPA: ,  ) is a state of the Indian union situated in north India. ... Janata Dal (United) is a political party in India. ...

He is a trade union activist and was a defence minister in the National Democratic Alliance Government (1998-2004). The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is a coalition in India. ...

Early life

George Fernandes was born in the year 1930, in the coastal town of Mangalore, Karnataka. After his formal education in Mangalore, his father sent him to seminary near Bangalore, to undergo training in priesthood. The rigours of priesthood did not suit young George and he rebelled against the authorities of the seminary. , Mangalore (Kannada: ಮಂಗಳೂರು, Mangalooru; Tulu: ಕುಡ್ಲ, Kudla; Konkani: ಕೊಡಿಯಾಲ್, Kodial; Beary: ಮೈಕಾಲ, Maikala)   is the chief port city of the state of Karnataka, India. ... , Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... For other uses, see Bangalore (disambiguation). ...

Life in Mumbai

George Fernandes had to endure innumerable hardships during his stay in Mumbai. It is said that he retained his simplicity owing to the hardships he faced there. Even today, he dresses modestly in a simple kurta-pyjama and leads a simple life. Nevertheless, he soon rose to prominence as a trade unionist and fought pitched battles against hotel owners, mill owners for the rights of labourers. Although, this made him extremely popular among the working classes, he had to face the wrath of hotel and mill owners.

The pivotal moment that thrust Fernandes into limelight was his decision to stand for the 1967 general elections. He was offered a party ticket by the Samyukta Socialist Party against the political heavyweight Sadashiv Kanoji Patil in Mumbai. Sadashiv Kanoji Patil or S.K.Patil as he was popularly known, was a seasoned politician, with two decades of experience behind him. Everyone expected S.K.Patil to romp home with absolute majority against George Fernandes. But to the utter surprise of political pundits, Fernandes convincingly won against S.K.Patil by garnering 48.5% of the votes polled in the election. Incidentally, the shock defeat ended S.K.Patil's political career. Samyukta Socialist Party (United Socialist Party), a political party in India. ...

In addition to all these things. He has been exposed in the Tehalka scandal. It was made clear to the nation his credentials to the Nation. He is known to be the mole in the Indian Government serving the CIA.

The Emergency Era

The reigning Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency on 25th June 1975. Accordingly, all fundamental rights enjoined in the Indian Constitution were suspended. Political dissidents, newspaper reporters, opposition leaders who opposed emergency were jailed. George Fernandes, along with like-minded leaders, opposed this blatant misuse of power. A warrant was issued in Fernandes' name and subsequently he went underground to escape arrest and prosecution. He was once detained on charges, of smuggling dynamite to blow up government establishments in protest against the imposition of emergency, in what came to be known as Baroda Dynamite conspiracy case. Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Hindi: ) (19 November 1917 - October 31, 1984) was an Indian politician who served as Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. ... A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, may work to alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or may order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. ...

After the emergency was lifted, general elections were held in India. The Congress Party, led by Smt. Indira Gandhi suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of the Janata Party coalition. The Janata Party and its allies came to power, headed by Sri. Morarji Desai. George Fernandes was appointed as the Union Minister for Industries. The Janata Party (Peoples Party in Hindi) was an Indian political party that contested the Indian Emergency (1975-77) and became the first political party to defeat the Indian National Congress in the 1977 elections, forming the national government from 1977 to 1980. ... Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (Hindi: ) (February 29, 1896 – April 10, 1995) was an Indian freedom fighter and the first Prime Minister that did not belong to the Indian Congress Party. ...

He continued to be uncomfortable with certain elements of the broad-based Janata coalition, especially some former Congress Party members, like Jagjivan Ram, but especially with the leaders of the erstwhile Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Jan Sangh in the Union Cabinet, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani. In a dramatic debate preceding a vote of confidence two years into the government's tenure, he spoke out against the practice of permitting Vajpayee and Advani to retain connections to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh while being in the ministry; the issue of "dual membership" caused Morarji Desai to lose the vote of confidence, and Charan Singh formed a government, supported from outside by the Congress Party. Jagjivan Ram (5 April 1908 - 6 July 1986), known popularly as Babuji was a freedom fighter and a social reformer hailing from the backward classes of Bihar in India. ... Hindutva (Hinduness, a word coined by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar in his 1923 pamphlet entitled Hindutva: Who is a Hindu? ) is used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. ... Bharatiya Jana Sangh is the old name of Bharatiya Janata Party of India. ... The cabinet of ministers of the Government of India led by the Prime Minister of India is referred to as the Union Cabinet in India. ... Atal Bihari Vajpayee (often wrongly spelt Behari; अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी in Devnagari) (born December 25, 1924) was the Prime Minister of India in 1996 and again from 1998 until May 19, 2004. ... Lal Krishna Advani (Sindhi: लाल कृष्ण आडवाणी, لال ڪرشنا آڏواڻي) ( ਲਾਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਆਡਵਾਨੀ ), also known as Lal Kishenchand Advani (Sindhi: लाल किशेन्चन्द आडवाणी, لال ڪشن چند آڏواڻي) (b. ... A Motion of Confidence is a motion of support proposed by a government in a parliament to give members of parliament a chance to register their confidence for a government by means of a parliamentary vote. ... The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu nationalist organization in India. ... Charan Singh could mean Choudhary Charan Singh, the former prime minister of India or Charan Singh (guru), the late Charan Singh of Radhasoami Satsang Beas. ... The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ...

After the dissolution of the unstable Charan Singh ministry, he contested for the Lok Sabha in 1980 from Bangalore North against future Railway minister CK Jaffer Sharief and lost the election. He then decided to shift his base to Bihar, which was already the haunt of his political guru, Ram Manohar Lohia and friend Madhu Limaye. The Ministry of Railways in India is in charge of the Indian Railways, the state-owned company that enjoys a monopoly in Rail transport in India. ... Ram Manohar Lohia was an Indian freedom fighter and a socialist political leader. ... Madhu Limaye Madu Sudan Limaye is a former Head of the Bombay Stock Exchange. ...

Ministerial Tenures

First Tenure

George Fernandes' first ministerial tenure was marred by controversies and allegations. He clashed with multinationals like IBM and Coca Cola and ordered them to leave Indian shores, implementing FERA, the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, which had been passed under Indira Gandhi's government. IBM redirects here. ... Coca-Cola is a cola (a type of carbonated soft drink) sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines in more than 200 countries. ...

Second Tenure

George Fernandes' second tenure as Minister of Railways in the V.P. Singh's government, though shortlived, was quite eventful. He was the brainchild behind the Konkan Railway project, connecting coastal Karnataka with Mumbai, the first major development to Indian Railways since independence in 1947. The Konkan Railway reduced time travel between Udupi, Mangalore and Mumbai and facilitated easy movement of goods and services. Konkan Railway has been hailed as a technological marvel has contributed to the economic growth in coastal Karnataka^{[citation needed]}. Vishwanath Pratap Singh (born 25 June 1931) was the seventh Prime Minister of the Republic of India. ... The Konkan Railway (Railway Symbol:KR) is a company of the Indian Railways which operates along the Konkan coast of India. ... Indian Railways abbreviated as IR, is a Department of the Government of India, under the Ministry of Railways and is tasked with operating the rail network in India. ... The Konkan Railway (Railway Symbol:KR) is a company of the Indian Railways which operates along the Konkan coast of India. ... The Konkan Railway (Railway Symbol:KR) is a company of the Indian Railways which operates along the Konkan coast of India. ...

Third Tenure

George Fernandes broke away from the erstwhile Janata Dal and formed the Samata Party in 1994. The Samata Party is a political party in India. ...

In spite of being a committed socialist, who had previously always opposed the Sangh Parivar - so much so that he had been willing to end Morarji Desai's government on the question of Atal Behari Vajpayee and LK Advani's "dual membership" of the Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh - his party became a key ally of the BJP within the National Democratic Alliance. The alliance, consisting of 24-parties, won a slender majority in the 1998 election. Fernandes was named as the Minister for Communications in the 13-day ministry. The Sangh Parivar is a loose family of organizations, which promote the ideology of Hindutva. ... Atal Bihari Vajpayee (often wrongly spelt Behari; अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी in Devnagari) (born December 25, 1924) was the Prime Minister of India in 1996 and again from 1998 until May 19, 2004. ... Lal Krishna Advani (born November 8, 1927/1929, Karachi) is an Indian politician. ... The Janata Party (Peoples Party in Hindi) was an Indian political party that contested the Indian Emergency (1975-77) and became the first political party to defeat the Indian National Congress in the 1977 elections, forming the national government from 1977 to 1980. ... The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (Hindi: , English: ), also known as the Sangh or the RSS, is a Hindu nationalist organization in India. ... The National Democratic Alliance is a name used by at least two groups India - National Democratic Alliance (India) Iraq - National Democratic Alliance (Iraq) Sudan - National Democratic Alliance (Sudan) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Due to the collapse of the NDA Government, polls were held and NDA returned back with a slender, but manageable majority. The government barely lasted a few months, due to the non-cooperation of AIADMK leader Ms. Jayalalitha. Jayalalitha Jayalalithaa Jayaram or J.Jayalalithaa (born February 24, 1948) is the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, India (since March 2, 2002). ...

Whenever there was a difference of opinion between Jayalalitha and the NDA, George had to visit Poes Garden(Jayalalitha's Residence), to iron out the differences. This earned him the reputation of "Peace-Broker" and "Troubleshooter" of the NDA.

George Fernandes was the Defence Minister and it was during this period the Kargil war over Kashmir broke out between India and Pakistan. During Winter, it is common for Indian & Pakistani Armies to vacate the icy-posts of Kashmir. But the Pakistani Forces, occupied the hills in the Kargil sector in violation of Shimla Agreement and the International Law. Thus, it became necessary for the Indian army to push back the intruders and regain the occupied territories. Combatants India Pakistan, Kashmiri secessionists, Islamic militants (Foreign Fighters) Strength 30,000 5,000 Casualties Indian Official Figures: 527 killed,[1][2][3] 1,363 wounded[4] 1 POW Pakistani Estimates: 357–4,000+ killed[5][6] (Pakistan troops) 665+ soldiers wounded[5] 8 POWs. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ... Kargil was a part of Gilgit-Baltistan before 1947, but now is a town in the Indian-controlled Kashmir. ... The Shimla Agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan was signed by Prime Minister of India, Mrs. ...

India took a controversial decision of not crossing the Actual LOC (Line Of Control). The Kargil war ended with a thumping victory and international goodwill for India. But Fernandes' role and the inability of the Indian intelligence and military agencies to detect the infiltration early, came in for criticism, both by the opposition as well as the media. However, Fernandes has refused to acknowledge the failure of intelligence agencies in detecting infiltration along Kargil sector.^[1]

The K Subramanyam Commission which appointed to probe into the Kargil War, backed Mr Fernandes's Claim.

Relationship with the Armed Forces

George Fernandes always shared an excellent rapport with the armed forces. He became the first Defence Minister in Independent India to visit the unforgiving, treacherous, icy heights of the 6,600m Siachen glacier, which holds the record of being "the world's highest battlefield" in Jammu and Kashmir. He subsequently visited the glacier 17 more times and took necessay steps to lessen the burden on soldiers patrolling the glaciers. The Siachen Glacier is located in the East Karakoram/ Himalayas, at approximately 35. ...

He was dragged into the infamous coffin scam and his reputation as Mr. Clean took a beating. He was also involved in skirmishes with the Navy Chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat over promotion of Harinder Singh, in the Indian Navy. Bhagwat was subsequently sacked over the issue. The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. ...

Controversies

Controversies have dogged George Fernandes ever since he entered politics. During emergency he was implicated in the infamous Baroda Dynamite Case. As a Minister for Industries in the Janata coalition government, he ordered IBM and Coca Cola to "pack their bags" and exit the Indian economy. Janata, a Hindi word for the populace, the people, enters in the name of a number of federal - and state-level, present and historical, political parties in India and other mainly Hindu/Sikh - or neigbouring states (some of which are sometimes shortened as Janata), including: In Indian federal politics: Bharatiya... Coca-Cola is a cola (a type of carbonated soft drink) sold in stores, restaurants and vending machines in more than 200 countries. ...

His tenure as a Defence Minister was a controversial one. Earlier a staunch supporter of nuclear disarmament, George Fernandes did a volte-face and openly endorsed the NDA Government's decision to test nuclear and hydrogen bombs in Pokharan, Rajasthan. He openly branded China as India's enemy No. 1 and criticised Chinese policy of providing sophisticated weapons to Pakistan. He also has rapped the Chinese for strengthening their military across the Himalayas in Tibet and also consistently supported the cause of Tibetan people against Chinese occupation.^[2] U.S. and USSR/Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles, 1945-2006 Nuclear disarmament is the proposed dismantling of nuclear weapons, particularly those of the United States and the Soviet Union (later Russia) targeted on each other. ... Pokhran (also spelt Pokaran) is a city and a municipality in Jaisalmer district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. ... , Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ... The Tibetan people are a people indigenous to Tibet and surrounding areas stretching from Central Asia in the West to Myanmar and China in the East. ...

George Fernandes also claimed that he was strip-searched twice at Dulles airport when he was defence minister -- once on an official visit to Washington in early 2002 and another time while enroute to Brazil in mid 2003.^[3] The details of the strip-search were mentioned in senior US diplomat Strobe Talbott's book. However the US embassy denied that George Fernandes was strip-searched in US airports^[4]; subsequently the senior US state department official, Richard Armitage, personally apologised to Fernandes over the incident.^[5] Nelson Strobridge Strobe Talbott III (born April 25, 1946 in Dayton, Ohio) is a U.S. diplomat and political scientist. ... Richard L. Armitage Richard Lee Armitage (born April 26, 1945) was the 13th United States Deputy Secretary of State, the second-in-command at the State Department, serving from 2001 to 2005, Previously, he was a high-ranking troubleshooter and negotiator in the Departments of State and Defense. ...

Support to Secessionist Groups

George Fernandes has openly supported and endorsed secessionist movements and groups, irrespective of whether he was a Union Minister or a member of the Opposition. Notable among the secessionist groups supported by him include The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (now designated as a terrorist group), the Tibetan refugees fighting for freedom against China and Burmese rebels group, fighting against the military government in Myanmar. LTTE is an acronym or initialism for: Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Known for their guerilla warfare forcibly killing every other independent groups aiming for seperate state. ...

Support of Burmese separatist groups

Mr. Fernandes is a very active supporter of many Burmese anti-government movements. Quoted regularly on exiled Burmese radio stations, he often criticizes the junta and its members on a wide array of topics. He opposes the current government's drive to root out anti-Burmese insurgents along the Burmese-Indian border. During his tenures in office, gun runners were allowed to do business using Indian territories, often as stop overs enroute from Thailand to Bangladesh.

He also revealed the infamous "Operation Leech" incident, which resulted in the capture of Arakan Army insurgents on one of India's islands in the Andaman Sea. He also fights for the welfare and also release of anti-Burmese rebels held by the Indian Government. Once, when the National United Party of Arakan complained to Mr. Fernandes of its members being captured in Indian waters, while carrying arms, he issued orders restricting Indian military movements, and all counter-terror / counter-insurgency operations conducted in the region to be asked for approval from the Central Government.

He also claims that the several islands in the Andaman Sea, including the Coco Islands, which belong to Myanmar, were gifts from India to the Burmese, rather than part of the original territory gained at Independence.

Tehelka Scandal

George Fernandes' name figured prominently in Operation West End, a sting operation in which a group of reporters, armed with hidden cameras, from an investigative journal, Tehelka, posing as representatives of a fictitious arms company, appeared to bribe the Bharatiya Janata Party President, Bangaru Laxman, a senior officer in the Indian Army and Jaya Jaitley, the General Secretary of the Samata Party and Fernandes' companion. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] (Hindi: , English: ), created in 1980, is a major Indian political party. ... Bangaru Laxman was minister of state for railways in Government of India from 1999 to 2000. ... The Indian Army is one of the armed forces of India and has responsibility for land-based military operations. ... The Samata Party is a political party in India. ...

The scandal caused uproar all over India and Fernandes was forced to resign from his post as a Defence Minister. He was subsequently cleared by the one man commission headed by retired Justice Phukan. The Phukan Committee Report was rejected by the UPA Government headed by the Congress Party and a new committee headed by Justice K Venkataswami was appointed. The Committee, after lengthy investigation, also absolved Fernandes in the case. The abbreviation UPA has several meanings: United Productions of America, USA-based animation studio Ukrayinska Povstanska Armia (Ukrainian Insurgent Army), a Ukrainian nationalist partisan organization during and after the World War II Uralic Phonetic Alphabet United Progressive Alliance A political coalition ruling India, as of 2005 University Preparatory Academy of... The Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party) is the largest subscription-based organisation in the world. ...

Barak Anti-Missile Scam

Main article: Barak Missile Deal Scandal

On October 10 2006, the CBI registered a first information report against Fernandes, his associate Jaya Jaitley, and former navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar for alleged irregularities in purchasing the Barak missile system from Israel in 2000. The Barak Missile Deal Scandal pertains to an ongoing investigation by Indian authorities of allegations of corruption in the purchase of Barak Missile Systems by India from Israel. ... CBI is a TLA with a number of meanings, including: Central Bank of India Central Bank of Ireland Central Bureau of Investigation, India Chicago Bridge and Iron Confederation of British Industry Cosmic Background Imager China Burma India theater of World War II Caribbean Basin Initiative C.B.I. This is... A First Information Report or FIR is a written document prepared by the police in India when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence. ... Acharya Sushil Kumarji Maharaj (Guruji -- June 15, 1926 - April 22, 1994) was a Jainist Acharya. ... Barak (the Hebrew word for Lightning) is an Israeli surface-to-air missile designed to be used as a point-defense missile on warships, defending against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs. ...

George Fernandes, however, claimed that the scientific adviser to the Defence Minister in NDA Government, the then President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam had cleared the missile deal [2]. The President of India (Hindi: Rashtrapati) is the head of state and first citizen of India and the Supreme Commander of the Indian armed forces. ... Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (born October 15, 1931, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, India), usually referred to as Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, is the President of India. ...

Books Written

Though not a prolific writer, George Fernandes has penned couple of books on politics including books like "What Ails the Socialists", "Railway Strike of 1974" and his autobiography titled "George Fernandes." He is also the editor of an English monthly, "The Other side" and the Chairman on the editorial board of a Hindi monthly "Pratipaksh."

Current Scenario

The NDA Government lost power to the Congress-led UPA in 2004. His detractors allege that Fernandes is locked in a bitter party rivalry with his one-time friend, Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar over the leadership of the Samata Party^{[citation needed]}. Nitish Kumār (Hindi: ) (born 1 March 1951, Bakhtiarpur, Bihar, India) is the Chief Minister of the north Indian state of Bihar. ...

External links

• Biography and pictures
• Article on 1967 election
• TimeAsia article
• Complete coverage of the Tehelka scandal
• Home Page on the Parliament of India's Website

References

1. ^ Fernandes again denies intelligence failure, July 18, 1999
2. ^ China And India's Mutual Distrust
3. ^ Strip-search incident: Armitage apologises Rediff.com, July 14, 2004
4. ^ US apologises over body search, BBC.co.uk, 14 July, 2004
5. ^ [1], ???