FORTY YEARS AGO

EMERGENCY DEFENCE

HOME MINISTER CHARAN Singh disclosed in the Lok Sabha that the president signed the proclamation of the Emergency on June 25, 1975 although it was approved by the Cabinet the next day. The minister assured the House that the government was examining providing safeguards to prevent the possibility of declaration of Emergency in similar circumstances in future.

KRIPALANI’S DEMAND

ACHARYA J.B. KRIPALANI demanded a highpower judicial commission of inquiry to go into the “shameless” and cruel indignities innocent people were subjected to during the Emergency. He said though there should be no idea of retaliation, there should also not be a “mealy mouthed and sentimental talk” of “forget and forgive”. Saintly individuals might forget and forgive the wrongs and injuries done to them, but “no government keeping a police and an army has the right to do so .”

BANSI LAL QUITS CWC

BANSI LAL, ONE of the most controversial figures of the Emergency months, resigned from the Congress Working Committee. Lal’s resignation was immediately accepted by the Congress president, D.K. Barooah. The Congress president was also expecting the resignation of UP Chief Minister N.D. Tiwari. The Congress’s parliamentary board has also summoned a meeting of the Maharashtra legislature party which is likely to seek the resignation of the CM, S.B. Chavan.

THE NARAYAN SCARE

KARPOORI THAKUR, A former chief minister of Bihar, told the Lok Sabha how during the Emergency an innocent sadhu was arrested. Thakur said the sadhu was chanting “Jai Narayan, Jai Narayan” after taking a bath in the Gandak. A police sub-inspector, who heard the loud chant, took the sadhu for a follower of Jayaprakash Narayan and immediately arrested him.