Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Notes from Underground - Part 1

A small note on Emergency written on  7/6/10
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35 Years ago, these times were the most testing times for the people of India. This was the time when Secular,Democratic republic of India saw its first and last Autocratic rule till date. It was the time when Indira Gandi(alias Indira Gandhi), started the slaughter of Indian freedom. Emergency was declared for the first time in the Indian History on June 26. Infact Indira was forced to do so by her close politicians including Sanjay Gandi, R.K. Dhawan, Yashpal.

The whole story started with the Allahabad high court ruling  which declared Indira's election as invalid. It was on a case submitted by her opponent Ram Manohar Lohya. It was proven in the court that she had done fraud and had used her power to influence people. Thus court order came as a shock for Indira. The whole national arena was boiling....

  The opposition demanded Indira's resignation. The whole opposition under the leadership of Lokanayak J.P.She went to Supreme court for rescue. The then Supreme court chief justice, V.R. Krishna Iyer, gave an unnatural verdict. It was that, Indira cannot remain as a Parliament member or get the honorarium for the smae, but she can continue as P.M.

The whole nation stood and raised voice against Indira and demanded her resignation. Jayaprakash Narayanan, A.B. Vajpayee and other famous political leaders stirred the nation in protests. INC came in rescue of Indira by campaigning "India is Indira and Indira is India". J.P. procliamed that Indira is no more P.M and hence no govt. organization has to regard her statements. Indira retaliated in strong words that J.P is trying to create a military revolution in the country.

As the things seemed to go out of control, Indira delared Emergency on the night of June 25 1975. Fakruddin Ali Ahmed signed the Emergency declaration as a Puppet of Indira. Shankar had drawn a famous cartoon on the same, where in Mr.President signs some papers inside bathroomand says that "Please let me bath and then i'll sign the remaining".

All the opposition leaders were brutally tortured and Jailed. Communist Party of India (CPI)who had joined hands with Indira Govt. watched the entire scenario as impotent revolutionaries. Police and military were given entire power. Anybody who was suspected was arrested without any norm and kept in custody as long as they wished. All the news channels were censored. News would go only after approval from officals.
But the rage of people was still hot. Many organizations came up in protest, conducted underground camps, circulated illegally printed pamphlets and travelled under cover. Main organizations involved in this agitation were Janatha Party, R.S.S. and CPI(M).

In kerala Emergency had great impact. Many people were brutally murdered. The famous Kakkayam Camp and the Rajan murder case are main highlights. C.Achutha menon was the C.M and K.Karunakaran was the home minister. Rajan who was an engineering student in REC calicut was taken away by police, brutally tortured( the description of this would melt the hearts. They were tied and beaten up.Kicked with heavy boots. Beating in the foot, rolling the lathi through the body, thus powdering the bones, clipping the loosened flesh with pencil tips are few innovative torturing methods to be mentioned) and was finally murdered. He was said to be missing byu the police. His father Eachara warrier faught for years against strong political lobby. K.Karunakaran was convicted along with police officers like Jayaram padikkal. But they still are in politicla arena unaffected and that poor father died after years of fight. His memories are recorded and published with the title "The memories of a father".

It is hard to understand the struggle that they had suffered for the cause of nation during those times. I think this new generation is the most weakest in recent times. We haven't faced any serious war(Except Kargil, which was of very low political and strategic importance), no famine, no Emergency. And all these makes us too little worried on the nationa dn its future. Now we cannot even imagine the lives that those great leaders had suffered for national cause and the cruel tortures they recieved in turn. For them all, including my Father, it is a time which they don't ever want to forget, neither wish to remember.

The following is a poem written by P.Parameswaran, former President of Vivekananda Kendram, Kanyakumari, Director of Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram, a famous thinker and poet, during the Emergency period, which i think is highly relevant even today.

ഒരു കൊച്ചു കൈത്തിരി കത്തിച്ചു വെക്കുവിന്‍
പെരുകുമിരുട്ടിന്‍ ഗുഹാന്ത്വരത്തില്‍
അതില്‍ നിന്നോരായിരം പൊന്‍ദീപനാളങ്ങള്‍
ഉയരട്ടെ പുലരട്ടെ പുണ്ണ്യപൂരം .

അടിമത്ത കാലത്തിന്‍ അവശിഷ്ട ദുഖഃങ്ങള്‍
അകവും പുറവും പൊതിഞ്ഞിടുമ്പോള്‍
അടിമത്ത ബോധത്തിന്‍ ഭയവുമാശങ്കയും
അടിയറ്റുവീഴാതെ ബാക്കി നില്‍ക്കെ
പരതന്ത്രഭാവത്തിന്‍ പരിണാമ ഭേധങ്ങള്‍
പലതും പുതുനാമ്പെടുത്തിടുമ്പോള്‍
കരയായ്ക വാവിട്ട് നിലവിട്ടു വീഴായ്ക
കരളിന്‍ കരുത്തിലുറച്ചു നില്‍ക്കെ.

വരബലം കൊണ്ടു ജയിക്കാനരുതാത്ത
പലപല കോട്ടകള്‍ക്കുള്ളില്‍ നിന്നും
അധികാരദുര്‍മ്മത തിമിരത്താലന്തമാം
അസുരത ചെങ്കോല്‍ നടത്തിടുമ്പൊള്‍
അരുതരുതീശ്വര ചിന്ദനം തന്‍ നാട്ടില്‍
ഉയിര്‍ വെണമെങ്കിലെന്നാഞ്ജാപിക്കെ
പ്രജകള്‍തന്‍ തീവ്ര ഹൃദയാഭിലാഷങള്‍
പ്രഹ്ളാദ രൂപം വരിച്ചപോലെ
തടവറ ഭേതിച്ച് കയ്യാമം പൊട്ടിച്ച്
തളിരിട്ട കൃഷ്ണാവതാരം പോലെ.

ശിവജിതന്‍ പൊര്‍വിളികേട്ടു മഹാരാഷ്ട്ര
മലവേടര്‍ മുമ്പിട്ടു വന്നപോലെ
പഴശ്ശിതന്‍ തീപ്പന്തം എതിരേറ്റു വാങ്ങിയ
മലനാടിന്‍ മണ്ണിന്‍ടെ മക്കള്‍ പോലെ
ഒരു വേലുതമ്പിതന്‍ പടവാള്‍തിളക്കത്തില്‍
ഒളിയേറും ഗ്രാമതുടിപ്പു പോലെ
വയലേലതോറും വിയര്‍പ്പിനാല്-ഐശ്വര്യം
വിളയിച്ച കൈവിരല്‍ തുമ്പുകള്‍ പോല്‍ .(ഒരു കൊച്ചു.)

1 comment:

  1. അടിയന്തരാവസ്ഥ കേറളത്തില്‍ പൊതുവേ എല്ലാര്‍ക്കും ഇഒഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നോ എന്തോ!

    കാരനം അതുകഴിഞ്ഞുവന്ന തെരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പില്‍ ഇന്‍ഡ്യ മൊത്തത്തില്‍ കോണ്‍ഗ്രസിനെ കൈ വിട്ടു, കേരളമൊഴിച്ച്.

    പരമേശ്വര്‍ജിയുടെ ഈ കവിതയെപ്പറ്റി ഇപ്പോഴാണ് കേള്‍ക്കുന്നത്

    ReplyDelete