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Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Emergency: When Indira Gandhi donated ₹90,000 for her fiercest critic Jayaprakash Narayan's treatment
In a little-known episode from the Emergency era, former prime minister Indira Gandhi quietly donated a significant sum of ₹ 90,000 for treatment of her fiercest critic, Jayaprakash Narayan, the leader of the nationwide anti-Emergency movement. Jayaprakash Narayan gave a call for sampoorn kranti (total revolution) in 1974 to cleanse Indian politics of corruption. (HT Archive) A new book reveals that the donation, which Narayan declined, came at a time when his health had deteriorated and he required a life-saving portable dialysis machine. Arrested on June 26, 1975, just hours after the Emergency was declared, Narayan spent five months in custody in Chandigarh before being released on a 30-day parole in November that year. According to "The Conscience Network: A Chronicle of Resistance to a Dictatorship" by Sugata Srinivasaraju, JP was diagnosed with kidney failure during his custody and required lifelong dialysis to survive. "Very soon, the cost of his treatment, and the regular dialysis he needed, became a matter of worry. It was decided, in due course, that a portable dialyser machine would work out better than going to a hospital regularly. It was also decided that the government's help would not be accepted. Therefore, his admirers started raising money for a dialyser," reads the book. As news of his condition spread, supporters across India and abroad mobilised resources. The plan, according to the book, was to collect Re 1 per person from the public to fund the expensive dialysis machine. However, the progress was slow. "At that point, Indira Gandhi, who learnt about the effort, sent a cheque with a handsome amount on it as her contribution," it added. However, the Indians For Democracy (IFD) -- a diaspora-led organisation formed in the United States just weeks before the Emergency -- was dismayed by the news of Indira Gandhi's donation. The group urged Radhakrishna of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, the organisation collecting the funds, to return the money. "I made it known that it would greatly disappoint JP's admirers if the cheque were accepted... We simultaneously requested JP to return Indira Gandhi's cheque. It was returned purely on our intervention. It was a fact that money was not coming through in India because people were scared of the government," recalls Anand Kumar, a member of the IFD, adding that his organisation vowed to collect the deficit amount. In response, the IFD launched a global appeal to raise ₹ 5 lakh—about USD 65,000 at the time—for the purchase and maintenance of a portable dialysis machine for Narayan, and successfully collected the amount. A letter by JP, dated June 11, 1976, was produced in the book quoting "technical points" of his rejecting the donation made by Gandhi -- including that only small contributions were acceptable. "...I had given my consent without knowing that the money would be from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. I took it for granted that it would be from your personal account , though a little thought on my part should have shown that it was not possible for you to contribute personally such a large amount. Be that as it may, the position is that before the contribution from your Fund was received, more than three lakh rupees had already been collected from the public in response to the appeal. "I do fervently hope that you will not misunderstand me and think me ungrateful and discourteous. There is no discourtesy meant at all and I am grateful for the concern shown by you for my health," reads the letter. "The Conscience Network", to be officially released on Wednesday -- marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency -- offers an "untold story of the Indian diaspora in the US during this era, spotlighting their burgeoning influence and the personal connections that spurred international efforts to counteract the authoritarian regime". Published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI) and priced at ₹ 1,299 is available for purchase across online and offline stores. On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi announced the imposition of the Emergency in a broadcast on All India Radio, shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay to an Allahabad High Court verdict declaring her election to the Lok Sabha null and void. It was lifted on March 21, 1977
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Emergency at 50: Learn from the mistakes of the past
On the night of June 25, 1975, India's democratic foundation was shaken to its core. The Prime Minister Indira Gandhi advised President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to declare a state of Emergency, citing 'internal disturbances.' This decision, bypassing all democratic norms, marked the beginning of a dark and unprecedented chapter in India's political history. During the Emergency, the bureaucracy, hand in glove with the government, had turned alarmingly autocratic (HT Archive) This drastic action followed the Allahabad High Court's verdict that found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractice and disqualified her from holding public office. Instead of resigning gracefully, she chose to clamp down on civil liberties, stifle dissent, and silence opposition through the imposition of Emergency rule. What followed was an authoritarian nightmare—a sweeping suspension of fundamental rights, censorship of the press, mass arrests of political opponents, and the erosion of democratic institutions. Nearly 50 years later, one must ask: Do ordinary citizens—especially the youth of today—truly grasp the gravity of that period? Do they know or remember what it meant to live in a country where freedom of expression was muzzled, where newspapers carried blank columns as silent protests, and where countless political leaders, activists, and innocent citizens were jailed without charge? Three-fourths of India's population today was born after the Emergency. To them, it may seem like a distant historical event, abstract and irrelevant. Many dismiss it casually without understanding its implications. They obviously haven't heard Jaiprakash Narayan's fiery and impassioned speeches, nor are they aware of defiant editorials or read reports of the horrors of forced sterilisation. It was a full-scale assault on the democratic ethos of a modern, independent India. The extent of constitutional manipulation during this period remains shocking. Amendments were pushed through Parliament with little debate, including one passed just a day before a critical Supreme Court hearing on August 10, 1975, which retrospectively validated Indira Gandhi's election—an audacious move that undermined judicial independence and the spirit of the Constitution. These legal acrobatics were designed not to protect the nation, but to entrench the ruling regime. We cannot allow these events to fade into oblivion. Every year, on the anniversary of the Emergency, political leaders and historians recall its horrors. But these reflections often remain confined to academic circles or partisan debates. Among the general public, and especially the youth, awareness is alarmingly low. As public memory fades, so too does political accountability. That is deeply troubling. It is not enough to treat the Emergency as a footnote in textbooks. It must be remembered as a stark warning of what happens when democratic checks and balances are overridden by authoritarian ambition. In the 1970s, it was young people who became the backbone of the resistance led by Jayaprakash Narayan. Students and youth groups mobilised across the country, facing arrests, violence, and intimidation with remarkable courage. The government's decision to mark June 25 as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas—a day to honour those who fought to restore democratic governance—is a welcome initiative. But symbolism must be paired with substance. We need educational programmes, public dialogues, documentaries, and memorials that keep the memory of this period alive and relevant. Schools and universities should incorporate the Emergency into civic education curriculums. Public broadcasting should revisit it through archival material, interviews, and documentaries. Libraries and museums must preserve testimonies and records from the period. These efforts are necessary not to dwell on the past but to inoculate the future. As increasing numbers of young Indians enter careers in public policy, it is equally essential that they consider political engagement not just as observers or analysts, but as participants. India needs more than perennial youth leaders in their fifties. It requires fresh voices who understand history, uphold democratic values, and possess the moral courage to challenge authoritarian tendencies—no matter who displays them. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, we must renew our collective commitment to liberty, justice, and the rule of law. Forgetting that such a catastrophe once befell our nation is not an option. We should guard against anything that blurs the searing memories of that episode. The 21-month period of emergency in 1975-77 serves as an exemplar of the importance of democracy and the dangers of unrestrained executive authority. This recognition and constant awareness can motivate efforts to enhance democratic systems by implementing restrictions on unbridled power of any individual. This also serves as the reminder of the resilient Indian and her eternal belief in democratic ethos of culture and nation. We owe it to the past—and to the future. This article is authored by Priyal Bhardwaj, general secretary, BJP Women's Wing, Delhi and a social worker.
