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Lalu Prasad: ‘Indira still had respect for democracy – she held elections, accepted defeat… Now there is undeclared Emergency'
RJD chief and former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad was a part of the Jayaprakash Narayan Movement that rattled the Indira Gandhi government, and one of the triggers for the declaration of Emergency. Lalu was among the Opposition leaders rounded up in the crackdown that followed. Excerpts from an interview:
What is your first memory of the Emergency?
As a student leader, I was a very active member of the JP Movement. I was arrested well before the Emergency was imposed. More student leaders were jailed as we kept rallying against all injustices, including demanding better food in prison.
Humour and wit became powerful tools in the face of adversity. I would often regale fellow inmates with dialogues from the famous radio drama Loha Singh. One such dialogue was: 'E Khadedan ki maa, jab hum Kabul ke morche par the, hum kaath ki banukh se lohe ka sanukh todte the (When I was at the Kabul border, I would smash iron trunks with wooden guns)'. It would bring smiles on the faces of the inmates. Dialogues from the radio drama still bring smiles (on the faces of) those who remember it.
On a serious note, the cry for dignity and the rights of the people cannot be silenced. History bears witness to atrocities committed in the name of progress. The rights we enjoy today were hard won, and it's up to us to protect them. The stories of those who suffered during the Emergency will never be forgotten. The forced sterilisation programme left scars that will take years to heal. Innocent lives were forever changed by the brutal hand of authority.
How did you come into contact with JP? Did you anticipate that a students' movement would lead to a step like the Emergency?
When we took out a protest march on March 8, 1974, demanding improvement in hostel and mess conditions, and the reduction of college fees and bus fare, it was purely a students' movement. There was barely any participation by politicians. After the protest turned violent and its scale got bigger, we met JP at his Kadamkuan residence (in Patna) and requested him to lead the movement. He was unwilling initially, but agreed on one condition — that protesters would not engage in any kind of violence.
We had no idea that the movement would shake the regime of Indira Gandhi, who had emerged as a strong and authoritative leader after India's victory over Pakistan in 1971 and the creation of Bangladesh. JP built the momentum in such a way – from Patna's Gandhi Maidan to Delhi's Ramlila Maidan, with all top Opposition leaders joining in – that Indira was left clueless.
After 50 years, what are your reflections on the Emergency?
After all these years, I feel Indira still had respect for democracy – she announced fresh elections in 1977 and humbly accepted her defeat. Later, she worked hard to come back to power in 1980.
As for the present NDA regime, these feel like times of undeclared Emergency. The present dispensation has scant respect for democratic institutions. Central investigation agencies have been working at the behest of the government for political witch hunts. I have been singularly targeted for years. But I am not one to cow down.
The NDA government's counter to this is that the Opposition parties are only bitter because of their inability to defeat the BJP?
Go to any educational institution, you will see stamps of the RSS and the BJP in their functioning and appointments. Talk to their rival political parties, they will tell you about political vendetta. Despite the NDA doing so well against us, PM Narendra Modi is still targeting me. It shows that I am among the few standing up to him, opposing his authoritative style.
Finally, how do you see the coming Assembly polls in Bihar?
Tejashwi Yadav (Lalu's son) has been carrying the burden of responsibility well. He has made Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar hold recruitment for government jobs. The Nitish government has also had to raise the social security pension from Rs 400 to Rs 1,100 per month, given Tejashwi's old assurance of raising it to Rs 1,500 per month if we formed the government in Bihar. I have been cautioning people against falling for false promises in a poll year. PM Modi has been raining jumlas during his Bihar visits. People should be cautious about the rain of loud and unrealistic announcements.
