How I barely escaped arrest in Emergency

Emergency is again in news though I had developed forced amnesia for it as it was a harrowing experience and I wish we do not face it ever again in future. When emergency was declared I happened to be in Delhi and had a meeting with Secretary steel  Wadud Khan a power ful head of the steel ministry who had many fresh ideas to reform the entire steel production and I worked for Steel plant of Bhilai. Mr Khan was known as Steel Mughal and his  house was virtually in  backyard of the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at 1 safdarjung lane whereas Mrs Gandhi lived in 1 Safdarjung Road. He graciously offered me a toast and tea but asked me as to what we can do to implement twenty point programme. I was just not prepared for this and it took sometime when he asked me that I should meet Mohammed Yunus who was Special envoy of the PM and try to arrange some programme for Sanjay Gandhi. There were some good points in the programme and I liked the discipline punctuality etc as also the tree plantation . Even Vinoba ji called it anushasan parv. Khushwant Singh and JRD Tata had supported it. Next day I walked into South block and faced an awe inspiring office of the Special Envoy, who sat a few rooms away from PM. Yunus was a tall man with aquiline nose resembling Abdul Ghaffar Khan known as frontier Gandhi . I heard he was related to him. He asked me if we can do a big programme on the twenty points that was the bible of emergency. I had given it some thought and told him that we will plant one lakh trees on the high way and invite Sanjay Gandhi to open the plantation. He asked me if we can do something on family planning etc but I got out with one commitment and he agreed.

When I returned to the steel plant , as I alighted from plane in Raipur, I was told that a non bailable arrest warrant under Defence of India Rules was issued and  waiting to be served on me .I learnt that as I was Personnel Manager of Steel plant I was ex officio President of an employee cooperative which had unauthorisdely stored rice. It was raided and sealed and warrant issued against me.  I merely headed as PM of the plant in ex officio capacity and since I  had responsibility of welfare of the employees I held the post. Rice was stored for 50,000 workers of the plant in case of drought and scarcity. I did not even know it but it was meant for employees and not me. I was advised by legal officers of the plant that I should escape to Delhi as no bail is possible and try to wriggle out of it. I also learnt that District officer whose nephew had been rejected by me for not meeting merit was the cause of teaching me a lesson. This is how whatever Sanjay Gandhi did, many officials exceeded the limits to settle personal score.

I became a fugitive during those days and checked in Lodhi Hotel in New Delhi and I was advised not to reveal my address to people in the steel plant otherwise a police party could trace me. My two children and wife were at Bhilai town and suffered agony and anxiety although they knew that I had done no wrong and will finally be free. But the night mare of those days sometime haunts me still as you did not known what could happen to you under the draconian regime. Everyday arrests were being made and all leaders of opposition and even social activists were jailed.

I met again Wadud Khan who was surprised and told me it is state matter and not in central government sphere but he will speak to CM Shyama Charan Shukla. I promptly headed to him as he happened to be camping in Delhi. Shayma Charan was a swab and decent politician who after hearing the story was angry and issued orders to withdraw the case. I suffered in this episode and lost sleep of many nights but developed good friendship with Shukla family and could forget my program of felicitating Sanjay Gandhi. If emergency meant arbitrariness of power I quietly exited from joining the campaign

When I returned to steel town the news had spread like wild fire that I was no longer a wanted offender. Some of my friends laughed but I had suffered sleepless nights and on the top of it the concerned district official called me very politely and asked me if he could just meet me any time that I agreed although I did not want to see his face. He came and said he had to do it as emergency orders needed the action on illegal storage of food products. I did not want to contest him and told him to forget it but remember that we work in democracy and not autocratic regime.Greatest draw back of emergency was unfettered powers were misused by many to meet their own ends

--Prof N.K.Singh former Chairman International Airports Authority of India