Recollecting the dark days of emergency

It will not be wrong to say that the dark chapter of Emergency in the history of independent India has an unforgettable past and the least possible future! In the month of June 1975, the training camp (Sangh Siksha Varg) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for the whole of northeastern India was taking place at North Guwahati’s Auni Aari Satra (temple). On June 26, as soon as the wake-up bell rang at 4 a.m. in the morning, it felt like a dark cloud had entirely engulfed the sun. The wake-up call by the teachers to awaken the learners (siksharthis) was also too feeble. There was an atmosphere of stunned silence everywhere. In no time, it came to be known that on the night of June 25, 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared an internal emergency in the country, and the main leaders of all anti-Congress parties were picked up and put behind bars at undisclosed locations. Elected as a Member of Parliament from Rae Bareilly in 1972, Mrs. Gandhi lost an ongoing court case against her on charges of corruption. Craving to retain power at any cost, Mrs. Gandhi, instead of resigning from her post, imposed a nationwide emergency. Immediately, a ban was imposed on the press by the government. On this day, most of the newspapers kept their editorial columns either black or blank.

During the ongoing training camp,all India-level workers of the Sangh, including Eknathji Ranade, paid a visit. Anticipating that there are chances of imposition of a ban on the Sangh also, he went away after giving the necessary information regarding the same. Even in these trying circumstances, the ongoing programmes of the camp did not stop for three days. But considering the deteriorating situation, it was decided to end the camp on June 29, 1975. In the morning, while the convocation address was going on, the entire temple campus was surrounded by police. After the Sangh prayer, the overall in-charge of the camp, Bhumidev Goswami, met the Superintendent of Police, Mr. Priya Goswami. Meanwhile, some prominent workers of the Sangh crossed the Brahmaputra river from behind and went to Guwahati. On that day, the police did not arrest anyone but interrogated the participants (siksharthis) in the camp and clicked their photographs, identifying them district-wise. The police asked one question to all: ‘What is your opinion on PM Indira Gandhi?’ The participants from Manipur understood little Hindi or English. Most of them answered, ‘She is very beautiful, and the police kept watching.

On June 30, the then Sarsanghchalak, Honourable Balasaheb Deora, was arrested in Nagpur. All the volunteers (Swayamsevaks) were invoked by a letter to create public awareness through public relations and maintain restraint and peace. All the Pracharaks in Assam were asked to make the necessary arrangements for offices in various places. On July 4, the government imposed a ban on the Sangh. Some key functionaries of the Sangh were put under house arrest as the government imposed MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) or DIR (Defence of India Rules). Assam’s Prant Karyavah Bhumidev Goswami and prominent Sanghkaryakartas like Girish Kalita, Madanji Singhal, Aseem Dutt, Gurupad Bhowmik, Shankar Bhattacharya, etc. were jailed. Most of the Sangh Pracharaks started public awareness work by remaining underground, using pseudonyms, and changing costumes.

It was decided to print and distribute publicity materials for public awareness. In Assam, leaflets were published under the names Varta Patra, Satyavarta, Lokvani, etc. Initially, there was a printing problem. No printing press dared to print the leaflets. Therefore, with the help of two photo frames, mesh cloth, and glass, a homemade machine was created. Initially, there was no roller for printing. Only a roti roller (belan) was used for this purpose. Every 15 days, a leaflet was published informing the people about the unspeakable government repression and the challenges before them. Leaflets were distributed in various ways: by direct meetings, by putting them in homes at night, by post, etc. All India-level adhikaris of the Sangh also continuously visited multiple places to enhance the morale of the workers.

In 1975, the All India Convention of the Congress was held in Guwahati. Many prominent Congress leaders, along with Indira Gandhi and Sanjy Gandhi, and a large gathering were there at the venue. At that time, senior SanghPracharak, Honourable Bhaurao Deorasji, was also in Guwahati. Some male and female representatives of the Congress Party were staying at the house of the sister of a Swayamsevak. A Sangh meeting was also scheduled in the same house. When the Congress representatives asked about them, the swayamsevak’s sister told them that her brother’s college teachers had come to see the convention. But the Sangh meeting concluded safely and sound.

Underground and overground Sangh functionaries also continued the public awareness programme through personal contacts and small meetings and urged people to keep patience and be morally strong. They also used to go to the houses of the opposition leaders to give them the news on contemporary developments in the country, because all other sources of contact among the leaders have ended. Financial assistance was also provided to the families of many jailed people by visiting their homes with the utmost caution.

At the all-India level, prominent people like Nanaji Deshmukh of Jana Sangh, Dattopant Thengadi of Sangh, Socialist ideologue Ravindra Verma, etc., started correspondence with Indira Gandhi through Lok Sangharsh Samiti to end the emergency rule. But the repression did not stop. MISA prisoners did not even have the right to ask for bail. Three brothers of the writer were also made MISA captives. As all the efforts failed, the Samiti decided to start the Satyagraha. Meanwhile, Nanaji Deshmukh was also arrested. Moropant Pingle of the Sangh, Dattopant Thengadi, and Socialist Ravindra Verma visited Assam. Information about Satyagraha was given in small meetings. In such meetings, the maximum attendance was by the Swayamsevaks of the Sangh. It was also decided to hold Satyagraha in every province from November 14, 1975, to January 20, 1976. It was urged that the first Satyagraha of the opposition parties would be held in Assam, but they were not ready. Despite this, the first Satyagraha took place in Guwahati on November 14. Gradually, Satyagrahas were organised in other districts as well. The main objectives of Satyagraha were:

 End the emergency

 Provide fundamental rights to the public.

 Remove the restrictions imposed on the newspapers.

 Lift the ban imposed on the Sangh.

Satyagrahis used to distribute leaflets along with it. A large number of people also used to come to see the Satyagraha. All the Satyagrahis were put behind bars.

It is interesting to note that three Swayamsevaks from Dibrugarh were presenting a programme on All India Radio. In the middle of the programme, they started raising slogans against the Emergency.

Similarly, the Congress Party also organised a Lawyers’ Conference in Guwahati. The then All India President of Congress Devkant Barua and Rajni Patel of Delhi were invited to the programme. Before both of them reached the venue, while the speeches of other local leaders were going on, some Swayamsevaks started distributing leaflets and began raising slogans in the hall itself. The police closed the doors of the auditorium and caught hold of all the satyagrahas. Witnessing this, Barua was very angry. It was Baruah who said, India is Indira, and Indira is India’. Over 80,000 Swayamsevaks were booked under various sections across the country. More than 350 Sangh activists were also jailed in northeast India.

In Assam, the Satyagrahis also had to face severe police atrocities. Veterans from Guwahati, Madanji Sinhal, Sharad Kalita, Motilal, and Dibrugarh, Manju Dev, Haricharan Jindal, and Banwari Sharmahad to bear a lot of torture. Some Satyagrahis were stripped of their clothes and beaten up while I poured cold water on them. Jyoti Gogoi of Dibrugarh was suffering from jaundice in the jail. The jailed Swayamsevaks of the Sangh used to exchange jokes with each other and inspire everyone. In Jorhat Jail, a Congress co-prisoner asked the Swayamsevak, ‘Masterji, how many more days will we have to endure up here?’ The Swayamsevak replied, ‘Sir, why are you afraid? Veer Savarkarji too was sentenced to 25 years of Kalaa Paani’. The Congres prisoner kept on watching the Swayamsevak. Due to this behaviour of the Swayamsevaks, the workers of the other parties also formed favourable opinions regarding the Sangh. Gulab Barbara of the Samajwadi Party of Assam, who was earlier against the Sangh, came to Assam a few days after the emergency was over and became Chief Minister of the state. He had provided a piece of land for the Sangh office in Guwahati, and today’s ‘Keshav Dham’ is located on the same land.

Sangh functionaries like Aseem Dutt and Gurupad Bhowmik were about to be taken to the police court in Dibrugarh jail for one day. Guruda’s sister-in-law and I were also standing outside the court to meet him on the way. Handcuffed both of them while leaving, they bowed down to their sister-in-law but could not recognise me because of my changed attire. Both of them were lawyers. While going to the lawyers’ room, all the lawyers shook hands with both of them. Taking advantage of this, I also extended my hand by saying Hello, Dutt”. He could recognise me after listening to my voice. Later, while taking tea, we had a good conversation.

At last, as a result of tremendous public pressure, Indira Gandhi announced the election for the Lok Sabha. Leaders belonging to the opposition parties who were arrested during the emergency were freed as they had to contest elections, but the Sangh activists were not freed sooner. The Congress was badly defeated in the elections. A new government was formed under the leadership of Mr. Morarji Desai of the Janata Party. Once she lost the election, Indira announced the end of the emergency, and subsequently, the ban on the Sangh was lifted and the jailed Sangh functionaries were released. Finally, the black chapter of India’s history came to an end.

Last but not least, it is hoped that such utter disregard of democratic traditions and suppression of democratic values will never be trampled on again in the future.