New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) — A lesser-known tale from the Emergency era recounts how former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi quietly offered a significant donation of Rs 90,000 for the treatment of her staunch critic, Jayaprakash Narayan. Narayan led the nationwide anti-Emergency movement and faced deteriorating health, requiring a life-saving portable dialysis machine.
Narayan, arrested on June 26, 1975, just after the Emergency's declaration, spent five months detained in Chandigarh. He was later released on a 30-day parole in November of the same year. Sugata Srinivasaraju's book "The Conscience Network: A Chronicle of Resistance to a Dictatorship" reveals that Narayan was diagnosed with kidney failure in custody, necessitating lifelong dialysis.
The rising cost of his treatment prompted a decision to seek a portable dialysis machine, preferring it over regular hospital visits. Government aid was refused, prompting his supporters to initiate fundraising efforts for the device. As the news of his condition spread, assistance poured in from India and abroad, attempting to gather Re 1 per person for the costly machine. However, the campaign's progress was slow.
During this period, Indira Gandhi learned of the effort and sent a cheque as a substantial contribution. Yet, Indians For Democracy (IFD), a US-based diaspora group formed shortly before the Emergency, expressed their discontent with Gandhi’s donation. The group urged Radhakrishna of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, responsible for fund collection, to send the money back. Anand Kumar, an IFD member, highlighted their concern over potential disappointment among JP's admirers if Gandhi's cheque was accepted. The group pledged to bridge the deficit themselves.
In response, the IFD launched a global campaign to raise Rs 5 lakh, equivalent to about USD 65,000 then, to fund Narayan's portable dialysis machine and its maintenance. Their efforts were successful. A letter from JP, dated June 11, 1976, cited "technical points" for rejecting Gandhi’s donation, noting that only small contributions were acceptable. Narayan clarified that he had presumed the money came from Gandhi's personal account, not the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. Prior to the fund's receipt, public contributions had already surpassed three lakh rupees.
JP expressed hope that his decision would not be misconstrued by Gandhi as ungratefulness or discourtesy, acknowledging her concern for his health. "The Conscience Network," set for official release on Wednesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, unveils an untold story of the Indian diaspora in the US during this era, highlighting their growing influence and international endeavors against an authoritarian regime.
The book, published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI) and priced at Rs 1,299, is available for purchase online and offline. On June 25, 1975, Indira Gandhi announced the Emergency on All India Radio, following a conditional stay by the Supreme Court on an Allahabad High Court verdict that nullified her Lok Sabha election. It was ultimately lifted on March 21, 1977.
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