In pics: The faces of the Emergency who guided Indira Gandhi
Authored By Wion Web Desk
Published: Jun 24, 2018, 21:40 IST | Updated: Jun 24, 2018, 21:40 IST
Imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, the Emergency was the darkest period of Indian history. Here are key advisors of the leader who made an image of modern dictators after the Emergency period.
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Sanjay Gandhi
Former Prime Minister of India and son of Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi is the one responsible for the brutal policies that were carried out in the Emergency period.
He was a key advisor of Indira Gandhi and was the one who indirectly called the shots.
He is known for his notorious five-point agenda.
He was reportedly responsible for ordering the demolition of tenements near Turkman Gate in old Delhi. This destruction led by Jagmohan left 70000 people displaced and 150 dead in a firing during protests. Sanjay Gandhi also initiated the forced sterilisation campaign in 1976 to limit the population growth.
In 1976–1977, the programme led to 8.3 million sterilisations, most of them forced, up from 2.7 million the previous year.
He was a key advisor of Indira Gandhi and was the one who indirectly called the shots.
He is known for his notorious five-point agenda.
He was reportedly responsible for ordering the demolition of tenements near Turkman Gate in old Delhi. This destruction led by Jagmohan left 70000 people displaced and 150 dead in a firing during protests. Sanjay Gandhi also initiated the forced sterilisation campaign in 1976 to limit the population growth.
In 1976–1977, the programme led to 8.3 million sterilisations, most of them forced, up from 2.7 million the previous year.
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Vidya Charan Shukla
Vidya Charan Shukla who was serving as the minister of Information and Broadcasting Ministry served as a perfect medium to further execute the government agenda during the Emergency period.
He took full control of All India Radio and Doordarshan channel to carry out a pro-government propaganda.
Reports also say that he muzzled the press during the Emergency period; and in order to further control the media, notifications were sent to newspaper offices and editors were instructed not to print anything without permission from the government.
According to reports, during the Emergency, Sanjay Gandhi had asked the popular singer Kishore Kumar to sing for a Congress party rally in Bombay, but he refused. As a result, Vidya Charan Shukla put an unofficial ban on playing Kishore Kumar songs on state broadcasters All India Radio and Doordarshan from 4 May 1976 till the end of Emergency.
He took full control of All India Radio and Doordarshan channel to carry out a pro-government propaganda.
Reports also say that he muzzled the press during the Emergency period; and in order to further control the media, notifications were sent to newspaper offices and editors were instructed not to print anything without permission from the government.
According to reports, during the Emergency, Sanjay Gandhi had asked the popular singer Kishore Kumar to sing for a Congress party rally in Bombay, but he refused. As a result, Vidya Charan Shukla put an unofficial ban on playing Kishore Kumar songs on state broadcasters All India Radio and Doordarshan from 4 May 1976 till the end of Emergency.
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Siddhartha Shankar Ray
Then West Bengal Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray known for the brutal crackdown on Naxal movement during his tenure played a key role in imposing the emergency in India.
He was the one who proposed the idea to impose an 'internal emergency' to Indira Gandhi.
He was also the one who drafted a letter to the president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to issue the proclamation on the basis of information Indira had received that there is an imminent danger to the security of India being threatened by internal disturbances.
Reports also say that after drafting the letter he even personally met the president to convince him about declaring an emergency.
He was the one who proposed the idea to impose an 'internal emergency' to Indira Gandhi.
He was also the one who drafted a letter to the president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to issue the proclamation on the basis of information Indira had received that there is an imminent danger to the security of India being threatened by internal disturbances.
Reports also say that after drafting the letter he even personally met the president to convince him about declaring an emergency.
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