The Narendra Modi government’s choice to mark June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ is a politically charged move, seemingly aimed at sowing discord among the INDIA alliance partners, who share a history of opposition to Indira Gandhi’s emergency.
However, this strategy is risky and could backfire in Maharashtra, where crucial state assembly elections are set to take place in 90 days. The strong stance against the Emergency might unsettle Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and a segment of the Shiv Sena. Additionally, a thorough examination of the Emergency era might reveal a ‘tacit understanding’ between the RSS and Indira Gandhi’s regime. Notably, BJP founder member Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, who vehemently opposed Indira, was one of the few leaders released during the Emergency, having reached some form of ‘solution’.
In an editorial in Marmik on 31 August 1975, Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray argued that imposing an emergency was the only viable option to address the political unrest against Indira Gandhi. In the 1980 Maharashtra state assembly elections, Thackeray’s Sena did not field any candidates against the Congress. He even referred to Indira Gandhi as ‘maha-mata’ [great mother] following her assassination in 1984.
Columnist Vir Sanghvi once remarked that there was only one superstar in Mumbai, and that was Balasaheb Thackeray. Thackeray, who never held an elected position, was a unique force in politics, business, and Bollywood for over thirty years. His influence was so profound that the Shiv Sena’s electoral efforts often seemed overshadowed by the formidable rise of a “Tiger.”
Ravi Visvesvaraya Sharada Prasad, son of Indira Gandhi’s close aide H.Y. Sharda Prasad, asserts that there were numerous interactions between the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Indira Gandhi during the Emergency. According to his claims, a significant understanding was reached in November 1976, leading to the release of many RSS leaders from prison by Indira Gandhi’s government. “A document to this effect was handled by my father, H Y Sharda Prasad,” states Ravi Visvesvaraya Sharada Prasad.
In her autobiography “Last Maharani of Gwalior,” edited by Manohar Malgonkar, the Rajmata admits that her daughters, Usha and Vasundhara, sought to negotiate with Indira Gandhi for her release. The Rajmata recounts that an individual close to Indira spoke ambiguously, hinting at what Vasundhara might be willing to sacrifice for her mother’s freedom. In political circles, the man (now deceased) who made advances toward Vasundhara was quickly recognised but rarely named due to insufficient evidence. This individual was notorious for his harsh treatment of the media and Bollywood figures during the Emergency and was connected to several women.
Madhavrao, the father of current union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and with a brother-in-law who became a minister in Nepal’s cabinet, also attempted to contact Indira and Sanjay Gandhi. He was advised to return to India and remain neutral in politics. Indira and Sanjay saw great political potential in Madhavrao, viewing him as a key figure capable of weakening the Jana Sangh’s influence in Madhya Bharat and countering the Rajmata and her party. In the 1977 Lok Sabha elections, Madhavrao ran as an independent candidate backed by the Congress and later officially joined the party.
In hindsight, it seems that the ‘solution’ which allowed the Rajmata to avoid another year of imprisonment until the Emergency ended was an informal agreement for her to become ‘apolitical.’ R K Dhawan, Indira Gandhi’s now-deceased close aide, often discussed this in private, admitting there was no ‘paper trail’ to substantiate it. Both N K Singh, a veteran journalist based in Bhopal who worked for India Today, and Taroon Coomar Bhaduri, a correspondent for the Statesman and father-in-law of superstar Amitabh Bachchan, found credibility in Dhawan’s assertion.
The Emergency was lifted in March 1977. A few months later, on July 1, Taroon Coomar Bhaduri met with the Rajmata in Bhopal. By that time, Indira Gandhi had been voted out of office, and the Janata Party, a coalition of opposition parties, had come to power. When Bhaduri inquired about her future political involvement, the Rajmata responded impatiently, “No, no, no, I am not in politics anymore. I am not disenchanted but disgusted with politics and politicians. I never thought they could stoop so low. Politics is not for me.” Bhaduri then asked if she had faced pressure to renounce politics in exchange for her release on parole. She replied, “No, that is not true. I was rotting in jail, a physical wreck. The world outside was a silent spectator and did nothing.”
Following Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Rajiv Gandhi reportedly had a clandestine meeting with RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras. This meeting led to the RSS cadre supporting the Congress in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections, despite the BJP’s presence on the political scene. Rajiv met with Bhaurau Deoras, Balasaheb Deoras’s younger brother, several times at various locations, including the Pusa Road residence of family friend and alcohol baron Kapil Mohan. Close Rajiv associate Arun Singh, Delhi mayor Subash Arya, and liaison man Anil Bali were among those present. It was rumoured that the RSS wanted Rajiv to unlock the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhumi site and approve Ramanand Sagar’s epic Ramayana for broadcast on Doordarshan, the state television network.
The RSS’s support for the Congress became apparent after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in October 1984. This was highlighted in an article by veteran RSS ideologue Nanaji Deshmukh, published in the Hindi magazine Pratipaksh on November 25, 1984. Titled “Moments of Soul Searching,” Deshmukh’s article concluded with a call to bless and support Rajiv Gandhi, just weeks before the election.
In his piece, Deshmukh praised Indira Gandhi, stating, “…Indira Gandhi ultimately did secure a permanent place at the doorstep of history as a great martyr. With her dynamism born out of her fearlessness and dexterity, she was able to take the country forward like a colossus for over a decade… she alone had the ability to run the decadent political system of our corrupt and divided society.”
The designation of June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ carries significant implications for the BJP, Congress, and other members of the INDIA and NDA alliances.
(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
