The shadow of Sanjay: How Indira Gandhi's son shaped the Emergency

India Today

6 hours ago

Democracy's Darkest Hour chronicles the events leading to and during the Emergency declared on June 25, 1975, under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.Part 2 is the story of how a mother's doubts and a son's ambition plunged India into its darkest hour.June 24, 1975, New Delhi
On the night of June 24, 1975, a Tuesday, a near-full moon illuminated the sky above 1, Safdarjung Road, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's residence. As stars bore silent witness, conspiracies unfolded in secrecy.advertisementEarlier that day, the Supreme Court had granted Indira Gandhi a reprieve from a High Court judgment that nullified her 1971 election from Rae Bareli (see Part 1). Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer of the Supreme Court permitted her to remain Prime Minister pending her appeal, with one condition: she could not vote in Parliament.As the nation awaited her next move, the Prime Minister's staff orchestrated a flurry of meetings and trunk calls. The outcome of these urgent discussions, however, hinged on one individual: Indira's 30-year-old son, Sanjay Gandhi.Indira's Moral DilemmaOn June 12, the Allahabad High Court found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices on two technical counts. Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha ruled that her election agent, Yashpal Kapoor, had not effectively resigned from a government job before the election process began. Additionally, officials of the Uttar Pradesh government, controlled by Indira's opponents, provided rostrums, loudspeakers, barricades, and police support during her election tours. These actions were deemed corrupt practices by the court.advertisementThe verdict called for her resignation and barred her from contesting elections for six years. Indira's supporters argued these charges were minor and unlikely to withstand Supreme Court scrutiny. To uphold her moral stature, many urged her to resign temporarily until the verdict was overturned. Eminent jurists, including Nani Palkhivala, were consulted, and most expressed confidence in reversing the High Court's order. For a time, it seemed Indira might step down, transforming the crisis into an opportunity to bolster her image. But Sanjay Gandhi, her younger son, remained unconvinced.The Wannabe Car MakerAfter failing to complete his formal education, Sanjay Gandhi pursued an apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in Crewe, England, around 1964 to explore his interest in automotive engineering. He did not finish the program and returned to India, where his mother had become Prime Minister.Sanjay's ambition to become a car manufacturer led to the launch of Maruti, a brand he initiated in a Delhi workshop without much success. Soon, he began meddling in politics, serving as his mother's eyes and ears.His proximity to the Prime Minister and evident ambition led many Congress leaders to treat him as India's de facto power center. Among his staunchest allies was Bansi Lal, the controversial Chief Minister of Haryana, who facilitated Sanjay's acquisition of vast land tracts for his car project.advertisementJournalist and author Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, in his book on the Emergency, describes Sanjay as 'under-sexed and effeminate' with a nasal voice, a characterisation that fueled his enigmatic image. Yet, according to Indira Gandhi, her son was a 'simple boy, a go-getter who neither smoked nor drank.'Sanjay was a perfect contrast to his famous grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, and mother. Unlike the erudite Nehru, he didn't believe in reading anything other than comics. His free-market corporate leanings undermined Indira Gandhi's left-leaning socialism. Some speculated about foreign influences on his rise, though no evidence substantiated claims of CIA involvement.Mired in controversies and rumours, Sanjay Gandhi was an enigma to everyone except his coterie.As Vinod Mehta writes in The Sanjay Story, on the evening of June 24, as the opposition prepared to rally at Ramlila Maidan, Sanjay Gandhi was at the forefront of urging his mother to take decisive action. The Supreme Court's partial stay that day had not resolved the crisis; it had only emboldened her critics. Sanjay, along with SS Ray (West Bengal Chief Minister), pushed for an Emergency to crush the opposition's momentum.advertisementNight of the Son (A Fictionalised Account)'Mother, this is a conspiracy,' Sanjay said in his nasal voice. 'The Opposition wants to remove you. And you will not oblige them.''I have no other option. The Supreme Court order has put restrictions. And I don't want to carry on with my hands tied,' replied Indira, her eyes downcast.'The Court didn't ask you to resign. It has only barred you from voting. We have a huge mandate in both houses of Parliament. It is a minor inconvenience,' Sanjay pressed on.'We will appeal the verdict. Our lawyers are confident of getting it rescinded - the charges are frivolous...'Sanjay interjected: 'You can continue as Prime Minister while the appeal is pending. It will be perfectly legal.''But immoral,' Indira Gandhi said with a sigh. 'Moreover, our lawyers want me to resign until the Supreme Court gives its decisions.''Mother, you're too trusting. Don't you see the lawyers might be swayed by the Opposition?' Sanjay urged, his impatience rising. 'My friends say you shouldn't trust anyone.''There is no harm in handing over the reins to someone else until the final verdict. Once my name is cleared, I will return as Prime Minister.'advertisementSanjay's lips curved lightly. 'Who will you nominate - Jagjivan Ram, or YB Chavan? What if they refuse to step down later?'Indira Gandhi's brow creased. Doubt, like a fleeting shadow, passed through her eyes. The son's persuasion took hold.Meanwhile, the PM's opponents were unwittingly strengthening Indira Gandhi's dark fears.June 25, 1975, New DelhiDelhi's Ramlila Maidan pulsed with tension as thousands gathered under a blistering sun, their roars echoing defiance. Only a few days ago, Indira Gandhi had displayed her might with a gigantic rally at the Boat Club, where she had declared her resolve to fight the Opposition. The air crackled with anticipation as Opposition titans, Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) and Morarji Desai, mounted the rostrum, facing a sea of curious faces. Everyone was eager to know if Indira Gandhi's grip, weakened by the Allahabad High Court's verdict against her election, would be broken.JP, the aging revolutionary, thundered, quoting Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's poetry: 'Singhasan Khaali Karo Ke Janata Aati Hai.' The crowd erupted, electrified. Then, in a chilling crescendo, JP hurled a daring challenge: he urged the army and police to defy 'unconstitutional and immoral' orders from Indira's regime.June 25, 1975, 1, Safdarjung RoadadvertisementJP's words hung like a guillotine over Indira Gandhi's authority. In the past, Indira Gandhi had defied and broken her party 'Syndicate', dismembered Pakistan, and defied the US and its 7th Fleet. Her hubris hurt, she was not willing to bow down to JP and his rag-tag team of opposition leaders.Hours later, as dusk fell, Indira struck back. Facing mounting pressure from the opposition and internal party dynamics, Indira Gandhi summoned SS Ray for consultation. Encouraged by Sanjay, Ray drafted a letter for President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to proclaim a state of Emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution, citing "internal disturbances" as the justification.The President signed just after midnight. Power to major newspaper offices in Delhi was cut off to prevent immediate reporting. Opposition leaders, including Jayaprakash Narayan, Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and LK Advani were arrested in a sweeping crackdown.June 26, 1975, 7:30 AMThe BBC World Service broke the news of the Emergency and the arrests to the public. At 8:00 AM, Indira Gandhi announced it on All India Radio. The broadcast was brief, delivered in English and Hindi. 'The President has declared an Emergency. There is nothing to panic about,' she said in a calm voice. The Prime Minister cited 'internal disturbances' and threats to India's security. Referring to the Opposition rally a day ago, particularly JP's 'total revolution' campaign and his remarks urging the army and police to disobey 'immoral' orders, she said there was a conspiracy to destabilise the nation.At a hurriedly called meeting of the Cabinet, the Prime Minister informed her colleagues of the decision. While most listened in silence, only Defence Minister Swaran Singh ventured to speak: 'Is an Emergency necessary?' he asked cautiously.Swaran Singh was to pay a cost for this perceived dissent. And India was to enter its darkest hour since Independence - a period that was to last 21 months, underlined by terror, censorship, human rights violations, and excesses like forced sterilisation.Next: The Reign of Terror