'George Fernandes memorial to be opened tom'

Mangaluru: Bejai parish priest Fr Wilson Vitus DSouza  informed that the memorial erected to commemorate the achievements of late Union Minister George Fernandes would be inaugurated on the Bejai church premises here on Sunday.

Addressing reporters here on Friday, Bejai parish priest Fr Wilson Vitus DSouza said the tomb has been erected in the birthplace of Fernandes under the initiative of Bejai church in remembrance of the great leader.

Fernandes, a son of Mangaluru, was one of the greatest leaders that the country had produced, D’Souza said.

He had unshaken faith in and tremendous respect for democracy and worked tirelessly for the nation’s progress, he said.

Fernandes was elected nine times as the member of Lok Sabha and once for Rajya Sabha. The memorial, built on his mortal remains as per his religious customs, is an attempt to immortalise his memory in the minds and hearts of all, he said.

The memorial would be inaugurated and blessed on Sunday by the bishop of Mangaluru Peter Saldanha.

Former MLA J R Lobo, Vedavyas Kamath MLA, Ivan DSouza MLC, city corporation council members and others would take part in the function.

Bejai parish pastoral council member Lavet Vincent DSouza, assistant parish priest Fr Pramod Crasta and parish pastoral council vice president Francis Ashok Pinto were among those present at the press meet.

Fernandes was born in Bejai in 1930 and completed his primary education at the St Francis Xavier School there.

He had his high school education in St Aloysius High School.

Later, he was drawn to religious life and joined St Peters seminary in Bengaluru before moving to Mumbai to chart a new course of life in trade union movement and politics.