Social worker Leila Kabir, who was the wife of late socialist leader George Fernandes, died Thursday evening at her Delhi residence after battling cancer. She was 88. Her body was cremated in Green Park on Friday.
Daughter of former Union minister Humayun Kabir, Leila was diagnosed with intestinal nearly two years ago and had recovered, but her health deteriorated recently. In her final days, Leila said she did not wish to be taken to a hospital. Her son Sean reached from the US on Thursday.
Leila married on July 22, 1971, when she was working as an assistant director in the Indian Red Cross. Fernandes died in January 2019.
Former (United) Aneel Prasad Hegde, who attended the cremation on behalf of Bihar Chief Minister , recalled that Leila and George Fernandes were together in Odisha when the Emergency was imposed in 1975. While Fernandes, who was then the president of the Socialist Party, had gone underground, Leila travelled to the US and other countries with her newborn son and ran a campaign against the Emergency imposed in India. She returned 22 months later when the Emergency was lifted.
Dr Sunilam of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti also attended the cremation and paid tributes to Leila. In a condolence message, he said she was a dedicated social worker who remained actively involved in social work until her final days.
“I first met her when I came to Delhi for my PhD, and she was residing at 26, Tughlak Crescent. As the wife of George Fernandes, I had the opportunity to meet her from time to time. When George Sahab fell seriously ill, Laila-ji served him tirelessly for many years,” he said.
