t.com www.GOALias.blogspot.com www.GOALias.blogspot.com

www.GOALias.blogspot.com114 Politics in India since Independence“In the nameof democracy it has beensought to negate the veryfunctioning of democracy.Duly elected governmentshave not been allowed tofunction. …Agitations havesurcharged the atmosphere,leading to violent incidents.…Certain persons have goneto the length of incitingour armed forces to mutinyand our police to rebel. Theforces of disintegration arein full play and communalpassions are being aroused,threatening our unity.How can any Governmentworth the name stand byand allow the country’sstability to be imperilled?The actions of a few areendangering the rights of thevast majority.“Indira GandhiAddressing the nation onAll India Radio on26 June 1975Mrs. Gandhi’s confrontation with the Shah Commission provoked this cartoonwhen the commission’s report was released.letter to the Shah Commission that subversive forces were trying toobstruct the progressive programmes of the government and wereattempting to dislodge her from power through extra-constitutionalmeans.Some other parties, like the CPI that continued to back theCongress during the Emergency, also believed that there was aninternational conspiracy against the unity of India. It believed thatin such circumstances some restrictions on agitations were justified.Demolitions in Turkman Gate area, DelhiEmergency witnessed large-scale displacement of people living inDelhi’s poorer localities. The jhuggi-jhopris were forcibly relocated inthe then barren areas across the river Yamuna. One such affectedarea was the colonies in Turkman gate. The jhuggis of the areawere demolished. Hundreds of people of this area were forciblysterilised. However, many people escaped sterilisation simplybecause they were able to motivate other people to get themselvessterilised and were rewarded by the grant of title to a piece of land.Thus, while some people became victims of government-sponsoredactions, some people managed to victimise others in their desire tolegally secure a piece of land, which would safeguard them fromarbitrary displacement.Source: Shah Commission of Inquiry, Interim Report IICredit: R. K. Laxman in the Times of India