Photos Of George Fernandes, From The Emergency To The Kargil War

Former defence minister George Fernandes passed away on Tuesday morning from a prolonged illness.

Fernandes was a trade unionist, an anti-Emergency crusader. Fernandes went to prison for his protests against the Indira Gandhi government.

Fernandes also found the Samata Party. He was the defence minister of India when the Kargil war broke out. He was also witness to the Pokhran test that was key to India’s nuclear weapon programme.

As condolences pour in for the politician, here is a look at his life in photos:

When he flew a MiG-21 fighter

Reuters Photographer / Reuters

George Fernandes waves from the cockpit of a Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jet after riding it at Ambala air force base in the northern Indian state of Haryana August 1, 2003.

Fernandes at the Pokhran nuclear test site

Sunil Malhotra / Reuters

Then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Defence Minister George Fernandes wave at soldiers at the Buddha Site, in the western desert state of Rajasthan, where India carried out nuclear tests last week. Vajpayee, after a visit to the site in the far-flung Pokhran range, said India was forced to conduct the series of five nuclear tests to silence its enemies and show its strength. SM/JDP

When he visited Kargil

ARKO DATTA via Getty Images

George Fernandes takes aim through a shoulder held grenade launcher which was confiscated from the posts held by infiltrators as senior Indian army officer General H.M. Khannna looks on. This was during Fernandes' visit to Kargil 22 July, 1999.

At the Shariefabad army base

ASSOCIATED PRESS

George Fernandes has a lunch with soldiers of the Indian Army at an army base in Shariefabad, north of Srinagar India, on 3 August, 2002.

At a rally with Mamata Banerjee

Reuters Photographer / Reuters

George Fernandes speaks with Mamata Banerjee, who was then an ally of the BJP, at a rally against the ruling Communist goverment in West Bengal, in Calcutta on 6 January, 2003.

With Jayaprakash Narayan

Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, George Fernandes and other leaders with Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan on 28 June, 1978.

With the Dalai Lama

DIBYANGSHU SARKAR via Getty Images

ibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama gestures as he felicitate former Union Defence minister George Fernandes during a function in Bangalore, 17 January, 2008.

During the emergency

George Fernandes Kargil Pokhran

When he flew a MiG-21 fighter

Fernandes at the Pokhran nuclear test site

When he visited Kargil

At the Shariefabad army base

At a rally with Mamata Banerjee

With Jayaprakash Narayan

With the Dalai Lama

During the emergency

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