Fear of losing power haunts Uddhav Thackeray

 

June 25 will mark the 47th anniversary of the Emergency imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi. As people haven’t forgotten this date, similarly, they haven’t forgotten how she was voted out for throttling democracy for her vested interests. But still, even today, a section of the people argue that Indira Gandhi had no choice but to impose Emergency only to thwart international conspiracy of destabilizing the country. They also deliberately ignore the fact that she had imposed Emergency only out of her sheer fear of losing power. History has references where later, Indira Gandhi, herself, had admitted that her decision of declaring an Emergency in the country was not called for.

Indira Gandhi, who had come to power with a huge majority in 1971, could not deal with issues like inflation and unemployment that were rampant in the country. As a result, there was immense dissatisfaction about her in the minds of the masses. During those days, several agitations were staged in different parts of the country against the rising inflation, unemployment and corruption by the ruling party. Against this backdrop, the Allahabad High Court had ruled that Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha must be cancelled. Fearing that her political career would be at stake, Indira Gandhi had initiated this drastic step of calling for an Emergency. While this incident will complete 47 years in 2022, in Maharashtra, there are several incidents that are occurring since the last two-and-a-half years, i.e since when the three-party alliance government came to power, which reminds us of the ‘black period’ that the country experienced during the Emergency. When we closely observe the kind of incidents that took place then and now, we will notice some glaring similarities between the approaches of both the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and the incumbent chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Both seem to be haunted by the greed for power and the ability to go to any extent to take revenge.

During the Emergency there were several attempts of implicating and incarcerating the leaders from the Opposition. Even recently, i.e. a few months ago, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had also exposed the conspiracy where in connivance with the police and the public prosecutor, false complaints were being filed against leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. During the Emergency, there was no institutional structure that could protect democracy from the dictatorship of those in power. The bureaucracy of those days had bowed down to the dictatorship of the then rulers and had considered it a blessing to be enslaved by the rulers. Now, even the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi has also made a mockery of democracy by forcing the bureaucracy in the state to dance to its tune. Recently, the evidence presented by Fadnavis clearly cited numerous examples of how the police machinery was used to file false charges against 28 leaders of the BJP. The evidence also showed how the public prosecutor gave instructions against whom to impose MCOCA Act citing drug trade. The evidence also brought to light a detailed plot of how evidences were being planted and how care was taken to ensure that cameras were not working when the evidences were being planted. Also, how reiki was done on how, when and where to plant the evidences. Such act of retaliation against the political opponents is common in dictatorial regimes. But in a constitutional framework like ours, it will pain even those who drafted the constitution to see politics stooping so low in the country.

Some of the incidents, like the arrest of union minister Narayan Rane for whom the entire police force was put to task or brazenly implicating Arnab Goswami, a senior journalist in an old crime, are just the tip of the ice-berg. Even the Supreme Court had criticised the government for flouting law while arresting Arnab Goswami. A case of treason was filed against the Rana couple – Navneet Rana (MP) and Ravi Rana (MLA) only because the couple declared that they will chant Hanuman Chalisa outside chief minister’s residence. Also, Kirit Somaiya, who has consistently raised his voice against the malpractices of the ruling Shiv Sena leaders, was attacked several times in the presence of the police. Maharashtra has never seen such a blatant abuse of power.

It may be recalled that before Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency, there were two suspicious deaths in the country which are yet to be resolved. During her tenure as the prime minister, the Nagarwala Bank scam took place which was a hot topic then. Apparently on May 24, 1971, a telephone call was made from the office of the Prime Minister to the State Bank of India’s Delhi branch demanding Rs 60 lakh. The bank officials were instructed to collect the receipt for the money from the Prime Minister’s office. Later it was learnt that a man named Rustom Nagarwala had laundered money from the State Bank in the name of the Prime Minister. Nagarwala was later arrested. But he suspiciously died during the investigation process. Even the bank manager and a few other witnesses also died under suspicious circumstances. None from the then Indira Gandhi government bothered or showed any interest in bringing out the truth in this inquiry.

Likewise, a businessman named Mansukh Hiren died under suspicious circumstances during the tenure of this Thackeray government. On March 4, 2021 he was found dead and his vehicle, laden with explosives was found outside the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The National Investigating Agency filed a detailed chargesheet in the court giving an account of how a supari to murder Hiren was given. Sachin Vaze, the then police officer, was arrested in connection with this death. What is surprising is the fact that the chief minister had publicly supported Vaze before his arrest.

Also, during the same time as the Nagarwala Bank scam, a Congress leader – Lalit Narayan Mishra who was holding the portfolio of the railway minister, also died under suspicious circumstances. His wife had exposed the flaws in the CBI probe. A renowned jurist, VM Tarkunde, who was investigating the matter had submitted a report to the Bihar government where he had publicly expressed his surprise of how neither Indira Gandhi nor her government had not shown any interest in the investigation of the entire matter. The Congress that was in power at the Centre during both these incidents is currently also a partner in the incumbent alliance government in the state. Aren’t there similarities in all these instances – those that took place almost five decades ago and the recent ones.

During the Emergency, the country witnessed dictatorial regime. And today, Maharashtra too is witnessing a similar kind of governance. The incidents that took place in the country during the Emergency and the incidents that are currently happening in Maharashtra reminds us of the famous saying by Erich Fromm, a German psychiatrist – ‘the lust for power is not rooted in strength but in weaknesses. Excessive lust for power does not become a man’s strength but it only becomes his weakness. Emergency was the result of Indira Gandhi’s fear of losing power. And what currently Maharashtra is witnessing is Uddhav Thackeray’s fear of retaining power.

(Article Pre-Published in Times of India, 27 June 2022)

Keshav Upadhye, chief spokesperson