INDIA
George Fernandes, as defence minister, once sent two senior bureaucrats of his ministry to Siachen glacier when he came to know that they had held back a file on purchase of snow bikes for soldiers deployed at the world's highest battle field.
George Fernandes, as defence minister, once sent two senior bureaucrats of his ministry to Siachen glacier when he came to know that they had held back a file on purchase of snow bikes for soldiers deployed at the world's highest battle field.
Known for quick decision-making and administrative acumen, his concern for the armed forces was all too evident. He visited the Siachen glacier, where temperatures can dip to minus 50 degrees Celsius, nearly 30 times as he was very much concerned about living conditions of the soldiers deployed there, defence ministry officials said.
An avid admirer of socialist Ram Manohar Lohia, Fernandes, who died on Tuesday, would never miss an opportunity to acknowledge the contribution and express gratitude to the soldiers, particularly those deployed in difficult areas along India's borders with Pakistan and China.
"Kaise hain aap log? Sab kuch theek hei na? Kab chhutti mein ja rahen hain? (How are you? Is everything fine? When are you going on leave?)" -- this is how he would often converse with army men, according to a senior military official.
Fernandes became Defence Minister on March 19, 1998 in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet. However, he had to quit from the Cabinet in March 2001 following the Tehelka scandal.
In October 2001, he returned as the defence minister after an inquiry cleared his name in the Tehelka episode, and continued on the post till May 2, 2004.
In the early part of his tenure as defence minister, Fernandes was once "very livid" when he came to know that two bureaucrats in the ministry's finance department were sitting on a file for procurement of snow scooters for soldiers in Siachen.
Officials who worked with Fernandes said he immediately issued orders for sending the two officials to the Siachen glacier to have a first-hand experience of soldiers' life there.
He sent defence ministry officials on familiarisation trips to various parts of Jammu and Kashmir and to the areas bordering China in Arunachal to see for themselves the difficulties faced by border guards.
On several occasions, Fernandes played Santa Claus to the soldiers in Siachen as he would carry cakes and gifts to them during Christmas.
India had conducted the Pokhran-II nuclear tests in May 1998 when Fernandes was the defence minister.
The Kargil war broke out between India and Pakistan during his tenure as defence minister.
DNA TV Show: Congress not to contest UP by-polls, lends 'unconditionally' support to SP
Venom The Last Dance movie review: Tom Hardy's final Marvel outing is a king-size disappointment
Pushpa, Stree 2 choreographer Jani Master gets bail in sexual assault case
Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the next Chief Justice of India?
KL Rahul rejects retention offer from Lucknow Super Giants, set to enter IPL 2025 auction: Report
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance to give bonus share ahead of Diwali, check last date to apply
When Hollywood actress Natalie Portman insulted a BIG Bollywood megastar, he was asked to 'get lost'
J-K: 2 porters killed, 3 soldiers injured after Army vehicle attacked in Gulmarg
Shah Rukh Khan is back on small screen with legendary tale, it will lead up to…
Pre-Diwali Skincare: 5 quick tips to achieve flawless skin this festive season
Bomb threats to Indian planes continue: More than 80 flights receive fresh security alerts
Mumbai Police arrests vegetable seller from Jamshedpur for sending death threat to Salman Khan
'Dukh toh hota hi hai': Ex-India star blames MS Dhoni for dropping him at the 'peak of career'
Amitabh Bachchan defended Aishwarya Rai after she opted out of this film due to...
THIS company lost Rs 36430 crore in 6 hours, it's not Mukesh Ambani's Reliance, Tata Motors
Narak Chaturdashi 2024: Know the date, time, rituals, significance of Choti Diwali
'Attitude is...': Ex-Tesla employee shares experience working with Elon Musk
IND vs NZ: Washington Sundar scripts history in Pune, becomes first Indian to achieve big feat
Mukesh Ambani hails Meta CEO, says Mark Zuckerberg will go down in history for...
SC issues notice to Ajit Pawar on Sharad Pawar faction's plea over NCP 'clock' symbol
'UPSC hotspot': THIS college produces most IAS, IPS officers every year
Unlock the Power of Quick Recovery: Why every windows PC needs RestoreX360
Royal Enfield first electric bike spotted, it will be unveiled on…
'Dead' baby found alive during funeral in..., what happened next will SHOCK you!
Anil Ambani gets good news ahead of Diwali, his Rs 17016 crore company receives...
Apple iPhone 16 pro is now available for just Rs 52,930 on Amazon, how you can grab this deal
Diwali 2024: 5 vastu-friendly home decor tips to welcome wealth, prosperity this Deepawali
'Breasts, not oranges': Cancer awareness campaign by Yuvraj Singh's NGO draws flak, DMRC recalls it
Virat Kohli reveals being in tears while talking to Anushka Sharma following THIS incident
Man kidnapped from chaat stall, but there's a twist, watch viral video
IND vs NZ: R Ashwin goes past Australia's Nathan Lyon to set new World Test Championship record
Dhanteras 2024: Date, significance, shubh muhurat and more
Nvidia rolls out Hindi-language AI model in India: What is it and how will it work?
Netizens not happy with this billionaire's apartment in Bengaluru, says, 'you can afford better'
'Kejriwal, Atishi looted Rs 8,500 crore for...': BJP protests at Yamuna's Chhath Ghat
Cyclone Dana trains cancelled: Over 300 trains cancelled, check full list here
Bengaluru school's Rs 1.5 lakh fees for Nursery sparks controversy, parents' reaction goes viral
THIS rule will change from November 1, Airtel, Jio, Vi, BSNL users should pay attention, it will...
Video of man dancing around Russian woman at India Gate goes viral, sparks online debate
Innovating the Future: Aniruddh Tiwari's visionary advancements in AI and aata analytics
Revolutionising Enterprise Data Frameworks: How one lead data engineer is driving innovation
Pakistani model's BOLD move, walks Miss World ramp without...; watch video
What role did IAS officer Srushti Deshmukh's family play in her UPSC success? Details here
BIG allegation against Donald Trump, ex-model says former president groped her in front of...
THIS rule made by Ratan Tata won't allow Noel Tata to become Tata Sons chairman, it is...
JioHotstar domain acquired by Delhi-based app developer, he now wants Mukesh Ambani's Reliance to...
Alia Bhatt was totally smitten with Aishwarya Rai's dance videos because...
Ind vs NZ 2nd Test: When, where to watch India vs New Zealand 2nd Test match live
When Salman Khan broke his silence on blackbuck case: ‘Just because I cannot…’
Hyundai Motor India launches historic IPO, paves way for innovation and growth in automotive sector
BIG change in world's richest people list: Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani's fortunes now...
Ananya Panday gets trolled for her outfit, netizens say ‘she is getting Janhvi-fied’
Tom Holland confirms Spider-Man 4, reveals film will go on floors in...