50 years of Emergency: How George Fernandes’ arrest in Lucknow ignited railway strike; united fractured opposition against Indira Gandhi's govt

As the country observes 50th anniversary of Emergency, Arvind Chauhan finds out how an arrest in Lucknow led to a movement, and to curb it, the then PM suspended civil rights and cracked downed on the oppositionMay 2, 1974.

It was well past midnight. After a hectic day at Labour Day celebrations, George Fernandes, a 44-year-old charismatic and fiery socialist leader, was about to retire for the day at Lucknow’s Charbagh railway station retiring room.

He had a late dinner and his last request to the volunteers attending to him was a glass of hot milk. A young railway apprentice, Shiva Gopal Mishra, 23, promptly delivered it to Fernandes, who had just been elected president of the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF).“I had no inkling what was going to happen moments later,” Mishra now recalls. As the clock struck 2 am, there was a frantic knock on Fernandes’ door. Still trying to sleep, as he opened the door, the unwanted guests swooped down on him. It was a team from Delhi Police. Fernandes was under arrest.This arrest went on to ignite one of the most significant labour movements in the history of India — the nationwide railway strike of 1974.

Mishra, now 74, who is the general secretary of AIRF, vividly recounts that night, a memory etched in his mind from his long career with Indian Railways, from which he retired in 2010.His story aligns seamlessly with Rahul Ramagundam’s biography, ‘The Life and Times of George Fernandes’, which recounts the chain of events with striking clarity.According to Ramagundam, the Delhi police team escorted Fernandes from his first-floor retiring room to the Amausi airport, where a govt plane was waiting for them.

He was transported to Delhi just after the break of dawn.Simultaneously, in Delhi, the driver of the then Union railway minister Lalit Narayan Mishra delivered a letter to Fernandes’ wife, Leila, blaming Fernandes for the breakdown of negotiations — a move Fernandes later called a “treacherous act”.The backdrop to this dramatic arrest was the AIRF’s planned indefinite nationwide strike, proposed from May 8, 1974.

The railway workers, under Fernandes, demanded better wages comparable to public sector employees, full trade union rights, reclassification of railway jobs, an eight-hour workday, adjustments in dearness allowance, bonuses, and shops to provide subsidized grain.These demands reflected the economic hardships faced by workers amid an oil crisis, rising inflation, and global economic depression. Fernandes, who was elected AIRF president in Oct 1973 at the federation’s Secunderabad convention, had defeated Peter Alvares, a soft-spoken Goan freedom fighter, by securing 277 as compared to Alvares’ 210 votes.

At 43, Fernandes brought a new vigour to the union, galvanizing workers across the country.The arrest on May 2, however, accelerated the strike’s momentum. The news of his arrest triggered spontaneous protests across India. By May 5, workers at railway centres from Gorakhpur to Guwahati and Mumbai abandoned their posts and took to the streets in processions.“The arrest of George Fernandes cemented the opposition’s unity against Indira Gandhi’s regime,” says Ramagundam, an associate professor of history and culture at Jamia Millia Islamia. The strike, originally planned for May 8, erupted prematurely as workers rallied in solidarity with their leader. The arrest of this former parliamentarian was no small matter as it sparked outrage even among political opponents. Jan Sangh leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee moved a no-confidence motion in Parliament, while CPI leaders like Shripad Amrit Dange, who supported Indira Gandhi’s govt, also criticized the arrest.From Tihar Jail, Fernandes penned letters to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and railway minister Lalit Narayan Mishra, urging them to address the workers’ economic demands to avert the strike. “You can still avert the catastrophe, if you wish. But if the idea is to have a trial of strength, then, this time, I hope, the railway men will not be found wanting in providing their mettle,” he wrote, as quoted in Ramagundam’s biography. Both the govt and the unions were apprehensive of the economic fallout of a railway strike, as it could paralyze India’s economy. The govt, citing the oil crisis and global recession, urged workers to call off the strike and help the govt stabilize the economy.The unions, led by Fernandes, sought a “negotiated settlement” to address their grievances, warning that a prolonged strike would be catastrophic. Yet, despite shared concerns, the strike proceeded.

The govt, alarmed that Fernandes’ letters were reaching the press before their intended recipients, secured a court injunction barring him from interviews, telephone communication, or sending letters without clearance.

Fernandes’ leadership was remarkable not just for its intensity but for its reach. “George captured the heart of the railway workers,” Ramagundam told TOI. “He could connect with workers across the country, from small stations to factories producing railway equipment.

He lowered himself from a former MP to a union leader, projecting the workers’ demands with zeal and honesty.”Fernandes traveled tirelessly, addressing workers at far-flung stations and industrial units, embodying the spirit of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, who believed in fighting injustice regardless of time or place.The strike, deemed illegal by the govt, ended on May 28, 1974, after internal discord within the AIRF’s action committee led to its withdrawal.

Fernandes, however, faced further trials. During the Emergency, he was arrested again on June 10, 1976 for his alleged role in the Baroda Dynamite Case, an alleged plot to destabilize the govt. He remained in jail until March 22, 1977, when the Janata Party’s victory secured his release. The legacy of George Fernandes as a maverick socialist endures. Later serving as defence minister in the Vajpayee govt, he remained a symbol of resistance and solidarity. “His ability to unite railway workers in 1974, despite overwhelming odds, showcased his unique leadership — a blend of fiery oratory, grassroots connection, and unwavering commitment to workers’ rights. The 1974 strike, though short-lived, left an indelible mark on India’s labour movement, proving that even in the face of repression, the spirit of collective action could challenge the might of the state,” said Rahul Ramagundam.As Shiva Gopal Mishra reflects on that fateful night in Lucknow, he recalls not just the arrest but the man who inspired a generation of workers. His arrest may have sparked the strike, but it was his vision and courage that fueled its fire, making him a towering figure in India’s struggle for workers’ dignity.