Standing Against Emergency

As a Chinese saying goes “if nine brothers are lazy, one has to be active.” In Indian tradition we light a candle that symbolizes active struggle for light of truth. If you light a candle, and your friend lights another one, we have created a chain reaction that goes to infinity. That was the message of Buddha’s “Dharma-chakra” and that was Gandhi’s “Dandi March”. That was the same spirit that inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. in the USA who made millions to stand up to injustice and marched against subjugation and slavery.

1973, On my return from the USA., I joined the Jawaharlal Nehru University as chairman of the Centre for Science Policy Studies. In 1974, I was leading a group of youth to a Himalayan Trekking Expedition and we were somewhere up 14,000’ when we heard on a small Radio that Mrs. Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency. That political leaders of all opposition parties had been arrested. Nothing we could do to protest at that height. But I organized a meeting and some 30 of my trekking team members signed a protest note to be sent to Dictator. Whether our protest reached or not to its destination that was not important but all of us belonging to different states were unanimous to oppose the Emergency imposed by the dynastic dictator.

After a few weeks, when I returned to campus, I found my colleagues – the academic giants of JNU - were acting like a herd of sheep. No one publicly opposed the emergency. Much worse JNU professors avoided any criticism of the emergency. But the Students Union leaders - mostly the left-SFI- were leading underground activities. As there was strict press censor, we produced an underground newsletter on anti-government agitation. To keep an eye on us, a few intelligent agents were registered as students in the university. Two agents were enrolled in my center without admission procedure. I refused to accept them in the center and at that stage I was informed by the Registrar that “the entire university is functioning under the Emergency Government.” I raised the issue in the Academic Council but no colleague spoke in my support. During Emergency the administration had suspended all constitutional procedures.

Our Vice Chancellor was Dr. Nag Chaudhury. Formerly Director of Saha Institute of Physics, Calcutta, he was once Indira Gandhi’s trusted Defense Scientific Advisor who had designed the Nag Rocket. We used to eat sandwich lunch together and on our daily walks around the campus we exchanged information on the happenings in the country. Often he would joke: “so you are still roaming free?”

That day when I arrived at our lunch meeting, Nag was friendly but no personal jokes. He confirmed that I was in the eye of intelligence and suggested that in future we should maintain distance. No more lunching together “Only speak on phone” and avoid dropping-in my office.
“we are functioning under the Emergency,” the VC said.
“But, Nag, why don’t you go to the PM and tell her that the University must be allowed to function by our academic rules. She knows you; surely she would respect your suggestion.”

“No, Dhirendra, I would not go to her. I know her. She had lost all sense…If I say such thing she would shut down the university. I must protect our academic interest. Thousands of students and hundreds of faculty -the future of our students is at stake.” He also said that he could not provide me protective umbrella but wished me “good strength.”

During the Emergency I came to know George Fernandes and a few other leaders including Atal Behari Vajpayee. Twice I was raided by secret police. But interestingly, just a few minutes before the raid I received an anonymous call from some intelligence officer “Raid is imminent. We r coming”.

Giving me a few minutes? But that could be a trap, I realized. That such a call could make me panic and if they were watching my movements they would know whom I phone, to whom I speak, and where do I run when the raid was imminent.

Or there could be an officer sympathetic to our activities who wanted to alert me, I wondered. I had received a handwritten message of George . First I thought to throw all the undesirable papers into toilet but we would have lost George’s message from somewhere underground that would be a great loss.
Quick wit, I buried the papers in my files. Those days we did not have computers. So, I called my trusted secretary -steno-typist and started giving him dictation.

Within about 10 minutes, some half-a-dozen plain clothes men barged into my office. I was in the chairman’s seat and the secretary on my right with his notepad. Official papers, files and books were spread out in front of my huge table. I stayed calm but firmly rebuked the intruders – “How dare you disturb my work?” I demonstrated the Chairman’s authority.

“No, problem, sir, we are intelligence department. Under orders from the Home Ministry. you are to be searched for undesirable activities…” But during entire search the raiders were extremely polite and apologetic. They showed due courtesies to my academic position.

On the second occasion, I was taken for a longer interrogation. That morning I had phoned Mrs. Fernandes, “ you are home this morning. dropping in at 9.30.”

As I was walking up to the house, just about 15 feet from the gate, from all directions 5-6 persons closed-in: “Where are you going?” threateningly said one man. “To meet Mrs. Fernandes. She is alone with a kid. I had bought some toys for the boy.” I said.

“So, you are not Fernandes?” I noticed that two younger ones were trembling with fear – in case the revolutionary George had a gun! My brief phone call to Mrs. had let them believed that George was coming to meet his family. Besides, I was dressed Georgee style, in kurta-pyjama. George was the only leader still free and had organized very effective anti-emergency movement. They thought to have caught the lion of the underground. Disappointed, they took my personal details for further verification. Nonetheless, I was taken for interrogation. I protested but they assured me to return me to my office within an hour.

At the Home Ministery, three men were questioning me. One of them red-eyed stared at me. He was the killer to demoralize me. The other appeared not very serious and the third one was very polite and courteous. It was the polite one who did the questioning but the killer would demand truthful answer.
Since, the entire police force of the dictator had not been able to get George, they appeared desperate to catch the man who had been evading the arrest for months. Therefore, they were rather interested to know:
“Where is George Fernandes”? I adopted the strategy of telling the truth and staying fearless, ready to face any torture.

I strongly confirmed my opposition to Emergency and that I was committed to do anything within my powers to oppose it. “Defense of Democracy is my national duty,” I affirmed and confirmed that two days ago I had met George close to the same place –near the National Museum, New Delhi.

“How did he look? Was he in suit or kurta-pyajama?” “No, no, he was smartly dressed in a ochre robe – as a handsome young Sadhu ( monk).” I replied as a matter of fact. “But don’t you look for Sadhus, because next time he would be in a different avatar ( impersonation)”, I advised them.

“So, you would not tell us how to get him, ha”? the red-eyed threateningly said that he knew how to get information out of tough guy like me, and showed me some wires. I must have shaken but said: “ Look, I told you that I do not know his whereabouts. But even if I knew - I would not give him away to you. If you torture me I do not know what you would get out of me – true or false. I am opposed to Emergency, and you should know that George could be a Minister one day.”.

“Professor saab, we are carrying out our duty. If you and George saab are Ministers, we shall carry out your orders.” Concurred the polite one, and then I knew that I had won the day.

I spoke a few more words against the emergency, and asked them to return me to my office in the JNU. As promised, they courteously drove me back to my campus. And said, “Professor saab, we are under strict orders not to hurt you”.
That day I realized how deeply we Indians love Democracy.