Railway
The nationwide railway strike of May 1974, one of the largest industrial actions in India's history, was led by:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — George Fernandes
Detailed Solution
The nationwide railway strike of May 1974 was led by George Fernandes, the socialist trade union leader, who was then the President of the All India Railwaymen's Federation.
About the strike:
- It began on 8 May 1974, and lasted for about 20 days.
- Around 1.7 million railway workers took part, making it one of the largest strikes in the world at that time.
- The workers demanded higher wages (on par with other public sector workers), an eight-hour working day, and bonus.
- The National Coordination Committee for Railwaymen's Struggle, formed by many unions, organised the strike.
Government response:
- The government of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared the strike illegal.
- It used the Defence of India Rules and the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) to arrest thousands of workers and leaders, including Fernandes.
- Many workers were dismissed, and their families were evicted from railway quarters.
- The strike was called off on 27 May 1974.
Political importance:
- The strike was part of the growing opposition to the government in 1974, along with the Nav Nirman movement in Gujarat and the movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan in Bihar.
- These movements formed the background to the National Emergency declared in June 1975.
About George Fernandes:
He was born on 3 June 1930 at Mangalore, in Karnataka.
He became a trade union leader in Bombay in the 1950s, and was called a "giant killer" after he defeated S. K. Patil in the 1967 Lok Sabha election.
During the Emergency, he went underground, and was arrested in the Baroda Dynamite Case.
He won the 1977 election from jail.
He later served as a Union Minister of Industries, Railways and Defence; he was Defence Minister during the Kargil War (1999).
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan posthumously in 2020.
He died on 29 January 2019.
Why not the other options?
Jayaprakash Narayan, S. A. Dange and Raj Narain were other political leaders of that time, but they did not lead the railway strike.
Quick tip
Remember: Railway strike (May 1974) = George Fernandes (All India Railwaymen's Federation); background to the Emergency (1975).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Miscellaneous GK Questions
View all ›- Q1.The National Flag of India was originally designed by:
- Q2.The 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' was installed under the India Gate in:
- Q3.In which year was the Sundarbans National Park designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
- Q4.'Surya Kiran' is a joint military exercise held between India and:
- Q5.Air transport (the first commercial air mail flight) was launched in India in:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Miscellaneous GK — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Miscellaneous GK, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic collects general knowledge questions that do not fit neatly into a single category, such as national symbols, famous nicknames of places, important events, entertainment, and facts that cut across history, geography and culture. Because these questions come from many areas, the best preparation is broad revision and regular practice. Read each explanation carefully, since it often includes a related fact that is tested in a different form. Keep a notebook of facts you get wrong and revise it before the exam. Practise the miscellaneous GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.