Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Council Meeting FINALLY Approves to RENAME Circuit House to Bejai Circle Road Stretch after Late Padma Bhushan recipient GEORGE FERNANDES, born in Bejai, Mangaluru
Mangaluru: For a person born in Bejai, Mangaluru having played an important role in setting up Konkan Railways, and also played key roles in the victory of Kargil War and Pokhran -II Nuclear bomb test explosions, and a person who was a recipient of Padma Bhushan Award, Late GEORGE FERNANDES deserves to have a stretch of Road (Near to his birth place-Bejai) to be RENAMED after him. After quite a few discussions in the past during the MCC Council meetings, to decide on renaming a road after the Late George Fernandes, FINALLY on Tuesday 12 March Mangaluru City Corporation Mayor Sudheer Shetty Kannur has announced that the road stretch from Circuit House to Bejai Circle will be renamed after the late Padma Bhushan recipient, George Fernandes.
In his communication to the media, the Mayor said, “The grand inauguration will take place after the elections. I had initially proposed this quite a few times during former mCC Mayor Jayanand Anchan’s tenure and it was subsequently discussed in the council meeting. Following that, the proposal was forwarded to the standing committee, where no objections were raised after its publication. Now, the government has sanctioned the proposal, and the renaming of the road to honour the late George Fernandes will soon become a reality. There has been a consistent demand from the public to rename the road, supported by Richard Moras from Konkani Lekak Sangh, I also want to extend my gratitude to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh for promptly addressing the request on the same earlier I had also requested to name the approaching road to Mangaluru Junction Railway station after Fernandes. That proposal was kept pending with the Standing Committee on Town and Reforms.”
Late George Fernandes, the former Defence Minister and Statesman who died in January 2019, was born in 1930 to John Joseph Fernandes and Ms Alice Martha Fernandes, a couple from Bejai and was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times between 1967 and 200. George Fernandes, who was conferred the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for his exceptional service, always stood against corruption, Nepotism and communalism. During his stints as Union Minister for Communication, Industries, Railways and Defence, Fernandes had fulfilled his duties honestly and had made brave decisions for the nation. He played an important role in setting up Konkan Railways. He also played key roles in the victory of the Kargil War and Pokhran -II Nuclear bomb test explosions”.
ABOUT GEORGE FERNANDES:
George Fernandes was born on June 3rd, 1930 in Bejai, Mangaluru as the eldest son of six children of John Joseph Fernandes and Alice Martha Fernandes. He rose to prominence as a household name in India for his dedicated and committed service to downtrodden poor and weaker sections of society. Influenced by socialist ideology he moved to Mumbai and emerged as a trade union leader. His mission to organize unions for workers, and to address their problems and grievances as a leader and mentor are exemplary. He served as a member of the Bombay Municipal Corporation from 1961 to 1968.
George was a hero for the poor masses, he vehemently fought for their rights, leading protests and shutdowns for which he was jailed many times. In 1974, he called the strike of 1.4 million railway workers and brought the service to a halt in the whole of India which no other union leader has done. Social welfare of all was the criterion and he consistently fought for it with unwavering credibility. From 1967 to 2004 he has won 9 Lok Sabha elections which depict his immense popularity as a national leader of repute. He despised corruption & nepotism, dynasties, dictatorial acts & communalism of any kind. He fought against the draconian emergency reflecting dictatorship which has left indelible stains on the walls of the Indian parliament.
George Fernandes held prominent positions in the Union cabinet as Minister of Communications, Industry, Railways and Defence and Judiciously handled the responsibilities with integrity. As Industry Minister in Prime Minister Morarji Desai’s cabinet, he forced Coca-Cola & IBM out of India which is characteristic of his nationalism and patriotism. He is the architect of Konkan Railway which is the second-largest railway network in Asia. The grit, determination and visionary zeal in planning and executing the project are commendable. As defence minister, he deftly handled the Kargil War. The Pokhran II Nuclear test during his tenure as Defence Minister is yet another feather in his cap of credentials.
House where George Fernandes Lived on Bejai New Road
Late George Fernandes Tomb at St Francis Church-Bejai, Mangaluru
Students of Lourdes Central School, Bejai pay homage to George Fernandes on All Souls Day
He often used to visit the defence forces and used to spend time with them listening to their necessities and grievances. He paid a record 32 visits to the world’s highest battlefield at Siachen Glacier. He also directed bureaucrats to visit desert posts when the temperature is very high and freezing cold in winter to understand the genuine problems which soldiers face. George provided the soldiers with snow scooters for the first time when he was defence minister. George was a powerful orator who could convert the parliament into pin-drop silence with his prolific speeches on various subjects.
