How many Indians remember what happened in this country on June 25, 1975. It was a black day in the history of Indian democracy as Mrs. Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency to save the country from alleged unprecedented internal security threats. Constitution was suspended, leaders of the opposition political parties were incaecerated and the individual freedom was snatched away by the administration in a single stroke.
So that the nation may not forget this shame on our democratic system, I would like to remind a few shocking events. A state governor declared that Indira was India and India was Indira. Another Congressman called her ‘Chandi’. The party claimed that trains were running in time because of the Emergency. A fisherman of Kerala said that since Emergency was imposed, he was catching big fishes. It was being trumpeted that the Emergency was a festival of discipline (anushasan parva). Leaders like JP, Morarji Desai, Rajnarain, Jagjivan Ram, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Lal krishn Advani, Devi Lal, Charan Singh, Karpoori Thakur and thousands of others were declared as anti-national elements. They should all therefore remain behind the bar. The songs of late Kishore Kumar were banned on radio. The press was under strict censorship. Unpliable journalists were treated bluntly. In an over-enthusiasm in family planning, the teachers and other such workers got vasectomised even old and minors to complete their target, a precondition to stay in job.
At that time, where were R.V. Paswan, Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and Mayavati? Most of them were Govt guests in jails. I had heard the fiery anti-Congress lectures of Paswan. In the post-Emergency parliamentary election, he had romped home with the record majority from Hajipur constituency. What has happened with him that he himself lost and his party had no representation in the last general election. He had to manage a Rajya Sabha seat from UP. Lalu ws decimated after his 15-yr misrule. Mayavati and Lalu are afraid of annoying the Congress as they are under CBI scan. Nitish has suddenly turned closer to Congress after the PM gave him certificate of secularism. After tasting power in Vajpayee Govt and flourishing with BJP support in Bihar for last seven years, he is crying wolf and sees nothing but communalism in the BJP. Modi is a red rag to this secular bull.
Has anyone of them decried the Emergency from any forum on its 38th anniversary? When NaMo is there, who will like to touch upon any other topic?
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