Plan to rename Bejai road as a tribute to late Union Minister George Fernandes

Team Udayavani, Jan 11, 2020, 5:41 PM IST

Mangaluru: Nearly a year after the demise of former Union Minister George Fernandes, Mangaluru South MLA Vedavyas Kamath on Saturday, January 11 said that he plans to rename a road in the city as a tribute to the legendary parliamentarian.

In a Facebook post-Kamath said: “Remembering the legendary Mangalorean Shri George Fernandes who was the mastermind of Konkan Railway which connects Mangalore – Mumbai. It’s almost an year we lost him (29 Jan 2019).

Planning to NAME a ROAD in BEJAI area as it was his birth place in Mangalore. Renaming a road is a tribute as he had achieved several landmarks in Indian Political History. This has been a thought process since long as I want the future generations of the Coast City to know about him. Let his name be intact in memory of Mangaloreans for centuries to come. Apart from this I will even plan other things to get his achievements recognised.”

Fernandes, who was born to a Christian family in Mangaluru burst into national limelight when as a firebrand trade unionist in Mumbai he organised a Railways strike in 1974 that brought the country to a standstill. Ironically, he became the Railways minister in 1989 under V.P. Singh’s National Front coalition government, comprising mostly Left leaning parties.

He also served as India’s Defence Minister under the Vajpayee-led NDA government at the Centre and it was under his stewardship India fought the Kargil war in 1999.