Former Defence minister George Fernandes addressing a public meeting in 1998. (Express Archive/Neeraj Priyadarshi) Former Defence minister George Fernandes addressing a public meeting in 1998. (Express Archive/Neeraj Priyadarshi)

George Fernandes, former Union minister and nine-time Lok Sabha MP, passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 88 following a prolonged illness. He had been bedridden for the past few years.

Fernandes was born in Mangalore in Karnataka in 1930. An anti-Emergency crusader, Fernandes was a fiery socialist and arch-enemy of Indira Gandhi. He went underground during Emergency, but was arrested in 1976 in connection with the Baroda dynamite case. A year later, after Emergency was lifted, he was elected to Parliament from the Muzaffarpur seat in Bihar with a resounding victory. He was appointed Union Minister for Industries in the Morarji Desai government from 1977 to 1979. During his term, he took on American multinational companies like IBM and Coca-Cola, making them leave the country. Read this story in Bangla, Tamil, Malayalam

The last rites will be conducted at Lodhi crematorium and his ashes buried as per his wishes, his close associate Jaya Jaitly said. “It will be at Lodhi crematorium. We are following two things which he liked. First, he wanted cremation and then during his last days, he was saying burial. So we are going to cremate the body and bury the ashes which will fulfil both his wishes,” Jaitly told reporters.

In an interview with The Indian Express in 1998, Fernandes iterated that he was not anti-MNC but pro-Swadeshi. He said: “People keep saying that I threw out Coke but I was well within law to ask them about the formula they were so secretive about. The Indian legislation stated that in such a situation I could either ask them to go out or dilute their equity to 49 per cent and they opted for the first.”

Fernandes later joined the Janata Dal. He served as Railways minister in V P Singh government from 1989 to 1990. He was instrumental in setting up the Konkan Railway project, which connected Mangalore and Bombay.

PM Modi arrives at the residence of George Fernandes to pay his final respects. (Express Photo by Anil Sharma) PM Modi arrives at the residence of George Fernandes to pay his final respects. (Express Photo by Anil Sharma)

In 1994, after the disintegration of the Janata Party, Fernandes formed the Samata Party. It later allied with the BJP and he soon became a close confidant of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was appointed convenor of the National Democratic Party (NDA).

Fernandes served as defence minister for two terms, from 1998-2001 and then from 2001-2004. His first term was eventful as it witnessed the Kargil war and first Pokhran test. Vajpayee stood by him during the numerous controversies, including the Barak Missile scandal.

Fernandes also authored three books — What Ails the Socialists, Railway Strike of 1974 and George Fernandes Speaks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered him as “the best of India’s political leadership.” He tweeted, “Frank and fearless, forthright and farsighted, he made a valuable contribution to our country. He was among the most effective voices for the rights of the poor and marginalised.”

President Ram Nath Kovind said he was distressed to learn of the death of Fernandes. “(He) served India in many capacities, including as Defence Minister. He epitomised simple living and high thinking. And was a champion of democracy, during the Emergency and beyond. We will all miss him,” he said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, “I’m sorry to hear about the passing away of former Parliamentarian and Union Minister, George Fernandes Ji. My condolences to his family and friends in this time of grief.”

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