About
George was born in 1929 into the illustrious family of Prof. Armando and Matilde Menezes whose seven children have excelled themselves in so many diverse fields that a journalist writing about Goans called them the Kennedy’s of Goa.
In many ways George Menezes has been all things to all men through his charismatic leadership of the Christian community.
Although his academic performance did not come up to his father’s titanic expectations, it did not prevent George from becoming a household name in the community as well as in the world of Human Resources Management.
Starting his career in the Indian Air Force (which he quit early in the rank of Squadron Leader) he spent four years as a diplomat with the Indian Embassy in Paris, France. His wife Thecla who spoke French as fluently as George did, brought a touch of grace and class to the diplomatic circles in Paris.
Restlessness is an intrinsic part of George’s nature and so he quit the Indian Air Force and joined Hoechst Pharmaceuticals Ltd in 1962 and quickly rose to become a Director responsible for Human Resources including training and development of Hoechst Managers in South East Asia.
During those years he picked up a Post Graduate diploma in Business Management and did an internship in Human Behaviour at the National Training Laboratory in at Bethel, Maine, USA
Typically, he quit five years before he was due to retire because he found that the best Personnel Managers in his Department were unwilling to wait for another five years and were looking for greener pastures. Business magazines hailed it as a path-breaking decision and urged other people at the top of their organizations to do the same. They also recalled the innovative HRD work done at Hoechst where there had not been even a day’s work stoppage in 25 years and every difference in the Organisation was dealt with across the table and never ever in a Court of Law.
George is best known of course for his public speaking and writing skills. Writing regularly for the major mainstream newspapers and journals he has a fan club of readers that appreciate his sense of humour, his courage and commitment to truth.
His three books “Pardon your Middle is Showing” and “One Sip at a Time” and “ Sugar and Spice “ received excellent reviews. M. V. Kamath wrote, “He has that indefinable thing called style…his articles have made me weep, laugh and wonder at human nature”
When he received a lifetime award for journalism, Frank Simoes wrote “Never far from light touch, the serious chord, the description that lingers, lies a set of liberal beliefs that will not be denied. He stands at the forefront of Indian humourists, virtually alone.”
His ability to stir an audience with his oratorical skills assured him a place on every platform especially on issues of minority rights and human rights in the larger context.
These skills led to his natural leadership of a dedicated team of the Community during the stressful times of the Tyagi Anti conversion bill and the de-recognition of the St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore.
History will record that a hundred and fifty thousand people marched through the streets of Mumbai on 27th March 1979 resulting in two meetings with the Prime Minister of India and the resolution of the Community’s grievances
This leadership and his total commitment to his faith were to ultimately result in his appointment to a five year tenure on the Pontifical Council for the Laity and membership of the Asian Bishops “think tank” and his leadership of the All India Catholic Union. which he turned around and transformed into a respected and viable Organisation of the Laity.
Ironically it also led to his appointment as a member of the National Executive of the Bharatiya Janata Party. An appointment that generated much controversy in (at that time) an insular community that was unwilling to listen to prophetic voices amongst its people.
When the media called him a “latter day Moses” and “CIA agent of the Vatican” and when his own people criticized him it hurt him and made him feel lonely and misunderstood.
But is that not the fate of people who stand for what they believe in ? For undoubtedly. looking closely at George’s career, Prophet he is, straddling the space between the Church and the world (the hierarchical Church and the community at large that is the Church of the people of God), with grace and dignity.
At 79 he writes his columns, is putting together a new book, “The Source is Love”, travels abroad for meetings of the Vatican’s Council of International Catholic Organisations of the Church and has, since he moved to Bandra, done commendabale work to SaveBandra (Bandra Bachao!) Most of all he spends extra-ordinary time with his family, especially his grand-daughters,
When people ask him why he has not been recognized and honoured by Church, Community or Government, he laughs. “It is the very small price you have to pay for standing up for what you believe in”, he says.