The Woman Behind George Fernandes

She was Oxford-educated elegance; he, a defiant streetfighter. Their bond defied class, ideology, and time, but not heartbreak. Leila Kabir and George Fernandes, opposites in background—elite and boorish, sophisticated and radical—were deeply entwined. Leila, daughter of Education Minister Humayun Kabir and socialite Shanti Dasgupta, studied at Delhi University and Oxford, worked for the Red Cross, and lived a cultured life. George, from a Mangalorean Catholic family, rejected seminary life to become a firebrand trade union leader with raw charisma.A Flight and a UnionTheir love began on a Calcutta-Delhi flight in April 1971. Three months later, they married, defying George’s vow of celibacy and his socialist friends’ objections. Indira Gandhi attended, likely due to Leila’s lineage. Their union broke social and ideological norms.Two Minds, One CauseBoth rebels, they united in purpose. Leila supported George during the 1974 railway strike and his underground life in the Emergency. When he was jailed, she lobbied globally, testifying before the U.S. Congress to secure his release. Despite her privilege, Leila faced hardship silently. After bearing their son Shane, she fled to the U.S. during the Emergency, where her passport was confiscated to pressure George.An Election Won by Her WillIn 1977, George, jailed and unfamiliar with Hindi, chose Muzaffarpur for elections. Leila’s relentless campaigning, marked by humility and tenacity, secured his landslide victory.Can You Handle Leila Today?George’s secretary, Chanchal, recalled George’s quip during a Rail Budget speech: “Two risky ladies, Leila and Pramila Dandavate, will be in the gallery. Manage them if they object!” That day, they agreed, and George brewed coffee for Chanchal. Beneath the humor, Leila’s letters to her late brother revealed deep insecurity from a demanding childhood, making her loyal yet vulnerable to heartbreak.The Slow SeparationTheir marriage faltered when George grew close to Jaya Jaitly during his ministerial tenure. In 1984, Leila left quietly on the day Indira Gandhi was assassinated, never divorcing or complaining publicly. Their son stayed with her. Over 25 years, they lived apart, Leila masking her pain while George found new companionship. Yet, when Alzheimer’s struck George, Leila returned to care for him until his death in January 2019.Tragic SolitudeAt George’s deathbed, Leila and Jaya Jaitly, both mourners, shared a complex moment. Leila died soon after in peaceful isolation, perhaps fulfilled by her final act of care.An Indian Wife Within HerDespite her education and global exposure, Leila embodied the dutiful Indian wife—dedicated, self-effacing, and unfulfilled. Her story is not just of a political marriage but of loyalty’s cost, silent pain, and tragic isolation.Written by Hariom, University of Hyderabad, Intern.



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