‘50 Years of Emergency': Political, social activists recall the ‘dark period', say ‘memories still fresh'
I still remember deputy superintendent of police-rank officer Ami Chand approaching me. He put his right hand around my neck in a friendly manner and whispered in my left ear, 'Aayo Shastri ji, thodi sair kar kai aate hain' (Come Mr Shastri, let's go for a walk).
I couldn't resist, and that 'walk' lasted nearly 19 months — from June 1975 to March 1977,' Radha Raman Shastri, a former Sanskrit teacher in a government school, recalled. He was later elected as an MLA from Chopal, on a Janata Dal ticket.
A native of Chopal in Shimla, 82-year-old Shastri said: 'Instead of taking me to a nearby police post, I was directly taken to the Sadar police station where they served me two chapatis and a bowl of yellow dal. I assumed, like many, that I would be held for 24 hours and then released. But that illusion was shattered when I was bundled into another police vehicle and sent to the Nahan Central Jail. There, I met many contemporaries from across the state including the senior-most Jan Sangh leader, Shanta Kumar. In 1975, I was the general secretary of the Lok Sangharsh Samiti's Himachal Pradesh unit.'
'For almost six months, I was not allowed to meet my wife and children, who had moved to my father-in-law's house. Back then, I owned a printing press at Nav Bahar in Shimla, which was raided nine times as police suspected anti-government and anti-Emergency posters were published there. Eventually, I had to sell it for Rs 12,000 despite the purchase price being Rs 1 lakh,' Shastri added.
Bharat Bhushan Vaidya, an 83-year-old advocate, said: 'I was a practising lawyer back then. I remember how a large number of police personnel took me to the Boileauganj police station from my house a day after the Emergency was declared. Several others were also detained, without any explanation.'
Vaidya, another resident of Shimla's Subhash Nagar, said: 'Although I was released on bail much earlier than many of my contemporaries, the real sufferers were the families of those imprisoned for nearly 19 months.'
During the Emergency, each of the Nahan Central Jail in Sirmour district, Kaithu Jail in Shimla, and Solan Jail in Solan district was full with hundreds of political and social activists.
According to instructions of the Central government, activists from Shimla were detained in Nahan, and the ones from Chamba in Solan — to ensure their family members would not be able to visit them.
Including their family members, Shastri, Vaidya, and many others who had endured this 'dark period' attended a programme titled '50 Years of Emergency' — an exhibition, and a mock parliament — organised by the BJP in Shimla, where participants re-enacted debates between the ruling party and opposition leaders from that time.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Wire
2 minutes ago
- The Wire
INDIA's VP Nominee Justice B. Sudershan Reddy Has a Long History of Batting For Democratic Values
Hyderabad: The choice of Justice (retired) B. Sudershan Reddy as the INDIA bloc candidate for the vice-presidential election can be seen as a recognition for his long association with landmark judgments upholding principles of the Constitution and social justice, wherein he always stood for democratic values. The 79-year-old Justice Reddy, an eminent jurist, was appointed as a permanent judge of the high court in combined Andhra Pradesh on May 2, 1995, and promoted as the Chief Justice of Gauhati high court in 2005. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court in 2007 and served on its bench till 2011. After his retirement in 2011, he was appointed as the first Lokayukta of Goa in 2013. However, he quit the post for personal reasons within seven months of the appointment. Justice Reddy belongs to the rare breed of jurists who saw the Constitution as a document providing a blueprint for the upliftment of India's poorest and most deprived, and how the State should use its powers best to attain that goal. His judgements mark a sharp departure from pedantic legalism towards a transformative constitutionalism, according to MLC and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) president M. Kodandaram. Influenced by socialist thinkers including Lohia Born on July 8, 1946, in an agricultural family in Akula Mylaram village of Ranga Reddy district, Justice Reddy did his primary education in the neighbouring villages as there was no school in his native village. He graduated in Arts and Law from Osmania University in Hyderabad and enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh in 1971. He practiced in writ and civil matters in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and was Government Pleader in the High Court in 1988-90. He also worked as an additional standing counsel for the Union Government for a short period in 1990. The Osmania University utilised his services as its Legal Advisor and Standing Counsel from 1992 till Justice Reddy's elevation as the high court judge. He also served as secretary and president of the Andhra Pradesh high court advocates association before his appointment as high court judge. Justice Reddy came under the influence of socialist thinkers, more particularly Rammanohar Lohia, at a very early stage in his life. He actively participated in the total revolution movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan during the Emergency. Apart from being one of the most articulate and erudite judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Reddy was also one of those exceptional judges whose judgements are replete with references to works on regulatory theory, political science, economics, international trade and, of course, twentieth century classic literature. The erudition and depth of research in his judgments are typical of him as a well read and thoughtful intellectual. Justice Reddy maintained a judicial demeanor which is always with equanimity. He listened patiently and attentively, interjecting purposefully, said Kodandaram. He has not only made immense contributions to law but also stirred serious debate about where the Indian polity is heading and where it should go. During his tenure in the high courts as well as the Supreme Court, Justice Reddy rendered several landmark judgements on various branches of law, in particular on issues of criminal jurisprudence, Constitution, taxation, service law and human rights. 'The whole idea of distributive justice is to empower the weaker sections of the society' In one of his judgements, Justice Reddy, while dealing with the question as to whether the assignees of government land are entitled to payment of compensation equivalent to full market value of the land and other benefits on par with other land holders in the event of resumption for a public purpose, said "in the matter of distribution of material resources of the community to the vulnerable sections of the society by the State in furtherance of its constitutional obligations, no argument can be heard from the State contending that the recipient of the benefit may either accept with the restrictions or not to accept the benefit at all. The whole idea of distributive justice is to empower the weaker sections of the society and to provide them their share of cake in the material resources of the community of which they were deprived from times immemorial for no fault of theirs." "Having resolved to extend the benefits as a welfare measure, no unconstitutional condition can be imposed depriving the recipients of the benefits of their legitimate right to get compensation in case of taking over the benefit even for a valid public purpose. The recipients cannot be at the mercy of the State forever". In yet another important judgement dealing with the power of the government to deal with the public property, Justice Reddy observed that "there is nothing like a government property. It is a public property of which the government as a day is only a trustee. The public properties cannot be parted away by the government in its discretion as it pleases". As a Supreme Court judge, in his landmark judgment on Salwa Judum, which was floated in Chhattisgarh as an anti-Maoist force, Justice Reddy highlighted the importance of human rights and declared the appointment of tribal youth as special police officers by the Chhattisgarh government as illegal and unconstitutional . His judgement was widely hailed as a landmark restatement of constitutional values, demonstrating Justice Reddy's enormous moral strength to uphold social justice. In another significant judgement, he criticised the Union government for its slackness in probing black money cases. He observed "from mining mafias to political operators who, all too willingly, bend policies of the State to suit particular individuals or groups in the social and economic sphere, the raison d'etre for weakening the capacities and intent to enforce the laws is the lure of lucre. Even as the state provides violent support to those who benefit from such predatory capitalism, often violating the human rights of its citizens, particularly its poor, the market begin to function like a bureaucratic machine dominated by big business and the State begins to function like the market where everything is available for sale at a price". Headed panel on caste survey in Telangana Expressing his strong reservations about the government's efforts to deal with the black money issue, Justice Reddy had constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate unaccounted money unlawfully kept in bank accounts abroad. While dealing with a dispute between Ambani brothers concerning the supply of gas from KG basin, he raised a question in Supreme Court as to whose gas it is. He stated that "a small portion of our population, over the past two decades has been chanting incessantly for increased privatisation of the material resources of the community, and some of them even doubt whether the goals of equality and social justice are capable of being addressed directly". Justice Reddy had become the obvious choice as the head of an additional bench announced by then Supreme Court Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia to hear cases related to environment and mining. He participated in various national and international conferences and delivered keynote addresses on interconnectivity between law, economic and social sciences. He was a strong votary of the agitation for a separate Telangana prior to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014. He provided inputs to the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Bill, 2014. He was also the chairman of a committee constituted by Telangana government to conduct the caste survey and suggest measures to improve the living condition of the poor. The other members of the panel had included noted economists Sukhdeo Thorat and Thomas Pickety, among others.
Time of India
2 minutes ago
- Time of India
Fact check: Viral post seeks Rs 8.3 cr donation to save Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya, convicted of murder in Yemen; MEA calls it fake
In a major development, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has dismissed a viral social media post seeking donations to save Nimisha Priya, a Kerala-based nurse on death row in Yemen, labelling it as 'fake'. On Tuesday, August 19, the fact-check unit of the ministry flagged the fake claims and said that there was no government-affiliated donation campaign for the Indian nurse. The post claimed to be collecting funds to secure her release through blood money, but the MEA clarified that no such fundraising effort has been officially endorsed. Officials have urged the public to rely on verified sources for updates and cautioned against spreading misinformation related to sensitive international legal cases. The ministry's post read, "We have seen claims being made on social media seeking monetary contributions into a GoI-designated bank account in the Nimisha Priya case." The MEA addressed the viral post and said, 'This is a fake claim." Evangelist's fundraising appeal raises eyebrows This comes after evangelist and Global Peace Initiative founder Dr K.A. Paul publicly appealed for donations to save Nimisha Priya, claiming Rs 8.3 crore was needed and directing contributions to a so-called 'Government of India account'. The Ministry of External Affairs, however, has refuted the legitimacy of this appeal, calling it fake and unauthorised. We have seen claims being made on social media seeking monetary contributions into a GoI designated bank account in the Nimisha Priya case. This is a fake Another fake update surfaces on social media Apart from the fake donations, some reports also claimed that her death sentence has been revoked and an agreement has been reached for her release. But MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the claims, stating they were misleading and not backed by the government. Releasing a statement, Jaiswal said, "Such reports are incorrect. This is a sensitive matter, and we urge all sides to stay away from misinformation." Who is Nimisha Priya, and what is her case? Nimisha Priya, a 38-year-old nurse from Kollengode in Kerala's Palakkad district, was found guilty of murdering a Yemeni citizen in July 2017. Her execution, originally scheduled for July 16, was postponed after intervention by Indian officials, who are continuing diplomatic efforts to seek a resolution and save her life. Currently, she is lodged in a jail in Sana'a, the Yemeni capital city that is under the control of Iran-backed Houthis. On August 14, the Supreme Court was informed that there was no immediate threat to Nimisha. According to The Mint, in 2020, a court in Yemen sentenced Nimisha to death, and her appeal was later rejected by the Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. On July 17, the Indian government stated that it is actively engaging with Yemeni authorities and allied nations to find a "mutually agreeable solution" to the case. Yemeni court records allege that Priya drugged and killed Talal Abdo Mahdi in July 2017.
News18
27 minutes ago
- News18
US tariff to have economic consequences, monitoring situation: Ingka Group CEO
Agency: Almhult, Sweden, Aug 19 (PTI) The new tariff regime by the US under the Trump administration will have economic consequences, however, there is still a lot of uncertainty over its impact, said Ingka Group CEO Jesper Brodin. Ingka Group, which operates IKEA stores in 31 countries, is monitoring the situation as it sources goods from several countries, including China and India, among others, for its global retail operations. Besides, Brodin expects India to be among its top ten markets for the Swedish furniture retailer in the coming years, where it looks to add around 6 touch points every year as part of its expansion plans in the second phase of growth. The retailer, which already has completed Rs 10,500 crore FDI, granted under single-brand retail policy, is now gearing for fresh round of investments in the country to expedite its growth journey. When asked about the impact of the tariff imposed by the Trump administration on several markets, including India, Brodin said: "It's still a lot of uncertainty on where it's going to land." ' So we continue to monitor it. But since we actually have very little opportunity to influence it, we need more (time) to get ready to adapt to it." However, he also added that now IKEA's supply chain is 'more regionalised". However, there are certain categories which are still import dependent. 'But I think the impact of any trade additional value add will of course, lead to economic consequences and then we will have to see in IKEA if we can absorb or what we need to do with it in the future," he said adding 'It is going to continue for a couple of weeks and months and then 'we will have to see what happens for the future." Over the negotiations going on between the European Union and the Indian government for a Free Trade Agreement, Brodin said he is a 'big believer" in these pacts, which are a 'win-win" for both sides. ' We do welcome and encourage these negotiations and think they will be able to the benefit both India and Europe. What we have seen over the years in IKEA is that when countries collaborate, it opens up for win-win across borders," he said. Europe is the largest market of IKEA, where it operates 250 stores,while India is among the top ten countries from where it sources for its global retail operations. 'At the same time, I think the long-term strategy for IKEA in India is still to increase the share of local sourcing. So it is a game, you can say, where the most important factor for us is to build volumes locally," said Brodin, who is handing over the baton to Juvencio Maezto, who was first IKEA India head for 5-6 years. Brodin will remain with Ingka Group till February and then act as a senior advisor for Ikea Foundation, the group's philanthropy arm. IKEA has been sourcing from India for the last five decades, though it started its retail operation in India in 2018 by opening its first store at Hyderabad, followed by Navi Mumbai and Bengaluru and several others such as Delhi NCR, are in the execution pipeline. Over expansion of retail network in India, Brodin said:"I think to a certain extent, we have been delayed a little bit due to the pandemic in particular. So that had an impact on our expansion plans. But right now, I think we are showing with our investments that we are serious." IKEA's current sourcing basket includes textiles, plastics, and metals, among others, and the company plans to add more items. Presently, Europe is IKEA's biggest supplier, followed by America and Asia, in which China leads. 'I think the long-term strategy for IKEA in India is to increase the share of local sourcing. The most important factor for us is to build volumes locally," he said. According to Brodin, in the coming 12 to 24 months, IKEA will double its store capacity in India. 'We are heading there. So we're building up volumes. And I would say, regardless of great trade relations, IKEA's direction will continue to be to increase the share of local sourcing in India," he said. When asked about the non-tariff barriers such as QCO (Quality Control Order) over imports of goods in India, Brodin said:" I have a slightly different view on the Indian policy." ' I think some people call it protectionism, but I think the Indian government is trying to stimulate domestic growth, and is very successful in that. So of course, there is a dialogue with different parts of the government to see, how can we be part of that," he said. For IKEA, it is not a political question or a matter of trade relations but a game of volumes. PTI KRH KRH ANU ANU (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: August 19, 2025, 18:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
