Mangaluru: The St Aloysius Institution, where former Union minister George Fernandes completed his high school education, organised a prayer service along with a condolence meeting today, January 29.

In his address to the gathering, Registrar of the college, Prof A M Narahari recalled that George Fernandes was a proud alumnus of the institution as he upheld the highest level of integrity, morality, simplicity and commitment. “Mr. George Fernandes was instrumental in getting two Presidents, Mr. Neelam Sanjiv Reddy in 1980 and Dr A P J Abdul Kalam in 2003 to visit the college. He was a trade unionist, committed social worker and a model politician. The 1974 Railway Workers Strike and the fight against emergency under his leadership, are a testimony to his concern for the workers and the marginalized. He set a model as a great parliamentarian while winning the election to the Parliament 9 times. He was a link between the right and left thinkers,” he said.

George Fernandes also donated his entire library collection of more than 3,500 books to St Aloysius College library.

Principal of the college, Rev. Fr Praveen Martis read the condolence message.