Going back to 'India Today' publication!
1975 to 1985 were called the 'The years of upheval'.
"INDIA TODAY'S first decade is bracketed by tyranny and tragedy......A period marked by the personality who ruled the country for nearly sixteen years altogether: a story of triumph and persistence - but also a cautionary tale. And a reminder that no political leader embodies this country's destiny or control its narrative indefinitely."
"The 1975-1985 is also a story of resilience..."
Wonder why 'who ruled the longest' is more important than 'how they ruled'. An ongoing debate. However, you are only expected to be either a bhakth or hater. Other points of view are considered irrelevant.
It is disappointing, when one says 'Modi should go', just because he was not formally educated. Let us remember that an uneducated K. Kamaraj was considered a 'probable' PM candidate after Nehru! Oh yes, it was the Time magazine which said it.
Let's go back in time, and recall the story of Ekalava. He was self-taught and was equal or a better skilled archer than Arjuna.
Impressive that India Today began its journey during the emergency. The first issue was titled 'The Emergency: Now You See It, Now You Don’t'. A fascinating title.
Foreign papers asking 'Where is the emergency' was a good question!
I do not remember emergency in so much detail. I had just changed my job and was busy settling down.
The workers attitude did change for the better! One of them even said that he trusted the Nehru family. As they were well-off and were not after money.
I too benefitted, as the transfer of ownership of an apartment I had bought went smoothly at the municipal office. The clerk who handed me the transfer papers mentioned that normally there was a 'mamool' charge for such work! He didn't dare to demand it. So I didn't pay!
The dark days:
Eventually we did get to hear about the ugly aspects of the emergency. The imprisonment of opposition leaders and citizens suspected of being against the ruling government. The control of news. Forced sterilization and botched procedures causing many deaths. Sanjay Gandhi's urban renewal resulting in demolition with bulldozers! "An eerie preview of the 'excesses' of later eras."??
I remember the shock expressed by a friend who had lived in Delhi about the rise of Sanjay Gandhi, to become the defacto ruler of India during emergency.
From what I heard about his behavior, he would have been a source of worry, especially to the parents of the young!
The June 1978 cover story on Sanjay Gandhi confirms this fear. "....He would show up in court, surrounded by his praetorian guard, 'goons' we called them because they behaved as such.
I do hope the young generation read the stories of 'the emergency' and learn. Especially the present generation who are seeking drastic changes!
The inference, "And a reminder that no political leader embodies this country's destiny or control its narrative indefinitely" sounds hopeful and that the losers will accept their loss gracefully.
My view is that India is heading towards a 'feudal dynastic rule' in the garb of a democracy. Hope to find answers as I continue to read this special issue on Remaking India.
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