50 Years Of Emergency: June 25, 1975 To March 21,1977

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The memories of Emergency period are still fresh in the minds of survivors. They said it was a period when atrocities committed on people surpassed all the limits set even by Mughals and Britishers.

Loktantra Senani Sangh president Tapan Bhaumik said he was 16 years old at the time of emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi on country on June 25, 1975. When he opposed Emergency, he was lathi-charged by police and kept at Kotwali police station of Bhopal. Later, he was shifted to jail.

Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also a lad at that time and police had rained canes on his leg. Later he was jailed. The RSS workers were on receiving end.

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“Constitution was thrown to winds and there was no hearing of those who opposed the Emergency. Scores of people died in hospitals for want of treatment. Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Kailash Joshi, Sundarlal Patwa also faced the blues of Emergency,” Bhaumik said.

According to Chouhan, union minister CR Patil, state BJP president VD Sharma will attend a programme besides him to be organised at state BJP office on Wednesday. Other leaders will be present at other places in the state to mark the protest against Emergency.

Emergency survivor Santosh Sharma said he was 14 years old and jailed. He had participated in the protest at Chowk area of Bhopal. The police carried away all the protesters. Next day, cops rained at least 150 lathis on every protester during the time of lunch.

As he was just 14 years old, the policeman rained only 15 canes on him but they were enough to cement feeling of nationalism in him. Emergency was a black day of history in Indian democracy, he added.