March 13, 2024

On March 12, 2024, in a press conference the mayor of Mangaluru city, Sudheer Shetty Kannur announced that the road stretch from the Circuit House to Bejai circle will be renamed after the late Padma Bhushan recipient politician, George Fernandes.

He further informed that while the grand inauguration will take place after the elections, the government has sanctioned the proposal without raising any objections.

“There has been a consistent demand from the public to rename the road, supported by Richard Moras from the Konkani Writers Forum,” he added. He expressed his gratitude to the chief minister Siddaramaiah and urban development minister Byrathi Suresh for promptly addressing the request.

Welcoming the announcement, Richard Moras who was at the forefront of a public campaign said - “I am happy that our longstanding wish has been fulfilled. It is so gratifying to note that such a nice human being, simple, sincere a political dynamite is finally being recognized in his own city. Yet again, he has proved against the words in Bible, that no leader has been recognized in his own town.”

It is a great moment of pride that George, a ‘Son of Mangalore Soil’ stood against the challenges of time in life. Although his policies and politics were not patronized by the people of his own cult, he was instrumental in getting the permission for two prestigious institutions, Father Muller Medical College Hospital in Kankanady and St Joseph’s Engineering College in Vamanjoor. Besides, Fernandes is being revered and respected for his role as the railways minister who launched the Konkan Railways project through Konkan Bonds. The project has not only transformed today as one of the most feasible and profitable projects both in terms of travel, traffic, and cargo collection it has generated employment to so many people in the coastal belt. Further as a defense minister George Fernandes was instrumental in upgrading the living standards of the military personnel and getting the much-needed technical support.

Without doubt, George Fernandes was a dynamic leader, a self-taught, self-motivated, and self-educated person who came to be nick-named as a ‘Giant Killer’ after he defeated the seasoned politician S K Patil in the 60s from a Bombay South Constituency which was till then was a stronghold of the Congress. Once the maverick S K Patil ridiculed him saying - ‘George bhai, Dilli bahut door hai’, (Delhi is far away) to which George retorted, ‘Patil Saab, apke liye kabrastan nazdeek hai’. (For you, the graveyard is nearby).

George Fernandes was born on June 3, 1930 in Bejai to Alice Martha and John Joseph Fernandes. His was a middle-class family. He passed away at the age of 88 years on January 29, 2019 after suffering from Alzheimer’s decease. Although a prolific orator in 10 languages including Latin, as per the reports, during his last days he only spoke in his mother tongue, Konkani.

Once during the election campaign, he said – “Look at the irony of life. Once I was being hounded by the police, and today the same policemen are driving past me to announce my arrival. I am where I am, in the center of my work.”

During his first visit to Mangaluru after he was released from the jail in 1977, he said in a public rally, “Had the North Indians not elected us, I would not have been standing in front of you.” It may be noted that during the post emergency period the Janata Party was voted to power with majority, besides George himself won from the Muzaffarpur constituency in Bihar with a record margin as the member of the Parliament despite being lodged in a jail.

Now that the announcement has been made by the MCC, it’s relevant to appreciate the campaign spearheaded by a single person, Richard Moras, the erstwhile youth leader of Janata Party (former president of Konkani Family Bahrain). When there was no one to stand for a politician who strived for the human causes, Moras jumped into action. He drafted a resolution to name the road from Kadri Circuit House to Bejai Church Circle whilst the funeral ashes of the firebrand leader were buried at the Bejai Church cemetery on February 2, 2019. Michael Fernandes, brother of George Fernandes had brought the funeral ashes from Delhi to be buried at the cemetery. The prayers were held in the presence of clergy and many community leaders attended.

Moras convened a press meet on May 6, 2022, got the resolution passed by the Karnataka Konkani Writers Forum and then urged the Mangaluru Municipality and the Karnataka state government to act on the resolution. Almost all the journalists in the state supported the move and published the news urging the government to consider the appeal. Moras later met the Mangalore South member of legislative assembly, Vedavyas Kamath, mayor Sudhir Shetty, former mayor Premanand Shetty who promised their support for this cause. The former member of legislative assembly J R Lobo also provided him the much needed technical and moral support. With the great support both from the public and the leaders across the political spectrum, Moras was able to lead the campaign till its successful implementation through a committed, slow yet vehement struggle of 18 long months.

A firebrand leader known for his political and administrative acumen and the one who had the courage to ‘face the impossible’ finally gets his due recognition in a politically volatile region.