How a Commander can say no to the Prime Minister

During the World War Second of the 20th century, a young Indian officer lost his one eye while serving under the British forces against Japanese. At the end of the war he was in Saigon, then a French colony, where he met an officer’s daughter and instantly lost his heart to the French beauty. The girl was sent back to France and the broken heart Indian returned to New Delhi. But the love survived the separation. The girl reached India and with full military pageant our one-eyed officer wedded his French love in Independent city of New Delhi.

During the Emergency, ( 1974 –78), India’s Commander-in-Chief was this very officer Gen. Raina. (?- full name and the dates to be verified)

The dynastic dictatorship of Indira Gandhi appeared entrenched in the country. National administration was functioning efficiently. Having captured George Fernandes all anti-emergency movement was almost crushed, so believed the dictator. The citizens at large had started appreciating the discipline enforced on the citizens. Since criticizing was banned and the press was censored, Indira Gandhi self-fooled in believing that she was the most popular benevolent dictator, announced holding of Parliamentary elections and lifted the Emergency.

With the voting power restored the citizens voted against the emergency Raj. As the elections results showed the trend indicated Indira’s sure defeat, she contemplated to re-impose emergency and declare elections null and void. At that critical hour of decision, the dictator called the Armed Forces Chief Gen. Raina. And in an informal chat over the cup of tea, asked something like this: “Gen. Nation’s security is in danger as foreign agents are creating disturbances and the election results indicate instability in the country. Our developmental plans would fail. Whatever have we achieved in the last two years in the country – good governance, administration, and discipline – all that would go waste. How about canceling the election…”

The Gen. was reported to have replied: “ Madam, as your Commander –in- Chief I am duty bound to obey your orders. But I am not sure if my soldiers would like re-imposition of Emergency…”

I am not sure about the exact wording of the historic conversation between the two VIPs. But on his retirment from the Army, I gave the Gen. and Mrs. Raina a party at my residence. On that occasion I asked him about the truth value of the great event. Not in so many words but the Gen. confirmed of the tea talk. Indira Gandhi’s Congress party lost the election. And in 1979, the first non-Congress Janata Government came to power. And Gen. Raina was sent to the Canadian capital Ottawa, in the French speaking state of Ontario as India’s High Commissioner.