Latest news with #TheConscienceNetwork:AChronicleofResistancetoaDictatorship
New Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
When Indira Gandhi donated Rs 90,000 for JP's treatment during Emergency
NEW DELHI: In a little-known episode from the Emergency era, former prime minister Indira Gandhi quietly donated a significant sum of Rs 90,000 for treatment of her fiercest critic, Jayaprakash Narayan, the leader of the nationwide anti-Emergency movement. 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 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.
NDTV
8 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
When Indira Gandhi Donated Rs 90,000 For Fiercest Critic's Treatment During Emergency
New Delhi: In a little-known episode from the Emergency era, former prime minister Indira Gandhi quietly donated a significant sum of Rs 90,000 for treatment of her fiercest critic, Jayaprakash Narayan, the leader of the nationwide anti-Emergency movement. A new book reveals that the donation, which Mr 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, Mr 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 Indian community-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 Rs 5 lakh-about USD 65,000 at the time-for the purchase and maintenance of a portable dialysis machine for Mr 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 community 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 Rs 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
Deccan Herald
8 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
When Indira Gandhi donated Rs 90,000 for Jayaprakash Narayan's treatment during Emergency
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.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Emergency twist: When Indira's fiercest critic JP was fighting for life in hospital, Gandhi "quietly" did this, and it shocked everyone
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In a little-known incident from the Emergency period, former prime minister Indira Gandhi quietly sent a donation of Rs 90,000 to help her strongest critic, Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), with his medical treatment. However, JP rejected the money and sent it back.A new book, The Conscience Network: A Chronicle of Resistance to a Dictatorship by Sugata Srinivasaraju, reveals this surprising episode. At the time, JP's health had worsened, and he needed a portable dialysis machine to survive after being diagnosed with kidney failure while in was arrested on June 26, 1975, just after the Emergency was declared, and spent five months in jail in Chandigarh. He was granted a 30-day parole in November that JP's supporters tried to raise money for his medical treatment, it was decided that help from the government would not be accepted. Instead, his admirers planned to collect Rs 1 per person from the public. But the fundraising was slow, as many people were afraid of the this time, Indira Gandhi sent a cheque for Rs 90,000 as a contribution. But the donation shocked a group called Indians for Democracy (IFD), formed in the US by Indian citizens to protest the Emergency. They requested that the cheque be Kumar, a member of the IFD, said, 'We were clear that accepting the money would upset JP's supporters. So we asked him to return it, and he did. At that time, money wasn't coming in easily from within India.'The IFD then launched a global campaign to raise Rs 5 lakh, around USD 65,000 at the time, and successfully collected the full a letter dated June 11, 1976, JP explained why he returned the donation. He wrote, 'I assumed the money was from your personal account and not from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. By the time your cheque arrived, over three lakh rupees had already been collected.'He added, 'I hope you won't misunderstand me. I'm not being ungrateful or rude. I appreciate your concern for my health.'The Conscience Network will be officially released on June 25, marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency. It highlights the efforts of Indian activists abroad during the Emergency and how they influenced global Emergency, declared by Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, lasted until March 21, 1977. It was announced shortly after the Supreme Court stayed a ruling that had invalidated her election to the Lok from PTI
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
