George Fernandes (1930-2019)-a firebrand trade union leader, socialist politician and an incredibly powerful orator-was best known for leading the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF) in May 1947 and calling upon its approximately 1.7 million employees to strike, which brought India to a halt for twenty days. Often described as a rebel, he pursued every cause he took up with passionate devotion, heedless of the many ups and downs in his life.