THE IMPORTANCE OF JUNE 12
I am in Patna today for the two-day session of the party’s National Executive. This will be the first meeting of the new National Executive named by President Nitin Gadkari.
For the host of young first timers in the Executive today would be an important date for that reason itself. But those keeping track of the events in independent India since 1947, today is a historical date of landmark significance.
In the annals of India’s political history June 12 is a very important date. It is a date the country must not forget.
Exactly on this date, thirty five years ago, two events occurred which if the Establishment’s reaction to those events had stabilised, and their intentions had succeeded, Indian democracy would have been completely annihilated. Today, we would have been living in a different India. It would certainly not have been an India which is respected immensely because it has been a successful democracy.
I am recalling today 12th June, 1975. I have in front of me a publication titled PMO DIARY : Prelude to the Emergency by B.N. Tandon. I have known the author and his family closely for over four decades. The family lived next door to my residence in Pandara Park. Bishan Tandon has been a senior IAS official who in Mrs. Gandhi’s regime was Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office. When I was Information and Broadcasting Minister in Shri Morarji Desai’s Cabinet, I had chosen his younger brother Gopal Tandon to work as my Special Assistant in the Ministry.
Bishan Tandon’s book is a faithful datewise recording of the events of those days. Under 12 June 1975, he has recorded :
“This day will go down in history. Bad news began to come in from the morning itself. Early in the morning I got the news that D.P. Dhar (Minister in the Central Government, later Ambassador in U.S.S.R.) had passed away.
The P.M. had not come to the office. She was awaiting the news from Allahabad. Vineeta Rai called me at 10.05 and said that the court had decided against the P.M. but that the news was being confirmed.
I immediately went to the PTI/UNI teleprinters which are situated between my room and VR’s. There I read that Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha had set aside the P.M’s election and upholding the charges of corruption he had barred her from contesting any election for six years…..”
By the evening the Gujarat (Assembly) election results began to come in. The Janata Morcha (led by Morarji Bhai) and comprising of Congress (O), Jana Sangh, Lok Dal and S.P. seems well ahead of the Congress. It looks as if the Congress will be defeated which, in reality, will be the P.M’s defeat as she has carried the entire burden of the Gujarat elections on her shoulders”.
While planning Jana Sangh’s National Executive dates in the month of May, we were aware of the Gujarat poll schedule and the fact that the results would be announced on June 12. We were aware that Raj Narain’s election petition against Smt. Gandhi in respect of her Rae Bareily election was being heard by Justice Jag Mohan Lal of the Allahabad High Court. But we had no idea as to when the verdict would be delivered. On the basis of the Gujarat poll schedule the party had decided that the Jana Sangh National Executive would meet at Mount Abu on June 15, 16 and 17, 1975.
The venue was chosen because of its proximity to Gujarat. Most of the senior leaders of the party had spent nearly a month campaigning in Gujarat.
* * *
One of our Executive members those days used to be Dr. Vasant Kumar Pandit, a renowned professional astrologer who was recipient of a Ph.D. in Astrology. Dr. Pandit was a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council for eighteen years and a member of the Lok Sabha from 1977 to 1984.
I have always been cynical about astrological predictions. But I can never forget the brief chat I had with Pandit at Mount Abu. Relaxing after lunch on the second day, I happened to ask Vasant Kumar “Panditji, aap ke nakshatra ab kya bol rahe hein ?” His reply was baffling. He said: “Advaniji, I myself am unable to understand. I feel intrigued. What I am able to read from the stars, it seems we are heading for a two-year exile !” Before the month of June ended, the exile predicted by Dr. Vasant Kumar had actually begun in the form of nineteen months imprisonment, not just for a few leaders, but for tens of thousands of opposition activists !
L.K. Advani
New Delhi/ Patna
June 12, 2010
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June 12th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Dear Advani ji,
You are now blogging on very irrevalent issues. The country wants to know your views on Union Carbide Verdict and facilitated escape of Warren Anderson by the Congress Goverment. You are silent on IPL scams and Spectrum scam. On IPL you just said something against poor Shashi Tharoor. But you are silent on the sharks like Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel. Why you are silent on 2G Spectrum corrutiption by Raja and his mentor Karunanidhi. Sorry to see the pathetic situation of a Mass leader gaming with petty blogging at his fag end of his career.
June 12th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Dear Sir,
I disagree with the above note. You are bringing out issues that are either forgotten or pushed aside by the main-stream media. Also, it’s important that the current generation knows what happened in the past. They should do well to know the famous saying - “Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.” Please continue to enlighten and educate us.
Thank you,
Sanjeet Singh
Lucknow
June 13th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
There is (apparently) a lot of good work that the present and the previous UPA government has done. However its performance is still much below the expectations of the people. Any party looking to challenge UPA in the next election must be very strong and elegant. The party leaders must be able to stand as leaders of integrity.
People are not fools. Backed by an over-active media, they more or less know what has happened in the last few months. The challenge for BJP and NDA is not external; it is internal. The party will do well to promote good governance in its ruled states, and disassociate with the absolute corrupt and the dividers of society. Any ruling party must treat all communities as equals and promote unity between communities and countries even at the cost of history. Remember that half of India was born in the 80s.
“Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it.” But history is not rote-learning; the question is what is regrettable about our past, and what is appreciable.
June 13th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Interesting blog. Its important that the younger generation knows about the horrors of emergency. The alternative to congress rule was achieved only through the sacrifice of leaders like L K Advani ji
June 13th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Respected Advaniji,
Yes you have the full right to memorise the event of 12th June, 1975. But you must accept the image of Smt. Indira Gandhi has covered other leaders of modern India. You always acted as an Iron Man ( as Home Minister ) but failed in giving internal security against ISI aggression. You always told about resignation in case of any further attack by terrorist but did never. BJP should leave the Path of Hindu Fanatics and pseudo Hinduism. There is one Great Religion : ‘SANATAN’, you try to mix it with Hinduism. If you are a Hindu, have no scope to spread violence against other community, you should not utter a single word against other religion as Sanatan Dharma is Great and speaks for Peace. Please Stop this and try to build a strong Party which thinks for Bharat (India) and not for America (USA). Take care of yourself. Have a good day ! Namaskar !
June 14th, 2010 at 10:47 am
So many events took place in this conclave, news paper Ads, Bihar CM proving his secularism to the minorities’ of this country, Gujarat CM all out praise for Bihar’s development, Shri. Advaniji asking Bihar CM to attend this conclave and BJP standing tall and speaking of self-respected political party that we are.
If going by history after BJP’s first National Executive meet in Gujarat after which BJP has been able to gain strength in Gujarat and now in full control after mid 90’s then I am sure Gujarat will be revisited in Bihar very soon.
I am sure BJP will very soon be able to place its own CM in next election by outperforming JD-U in coming state assembly election. Even BJP won Karnataka first by supporting JD-S and now they are doing absolutely fine as a single largest party in state moreover by gaining victory over Bangalore Corporation itself proves that techies have voted for BJP.
June 14th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Bihar is the third most populated state of India with total population of 82,998,509 (43,243,795 male and 39,754,714 female).Nearly 85 percent of Bihar’s population lives in rural areas. Almost 58 percent of Biharis are below 25 years age, which is the highest in India. Hinduism is practiced by 83.2% of the population.[59] Islam is practiced by 16.5% of the population, and other religions make up less than 0.5%.So it is Nitish kumar’s responsibility to create employment by both Government and Private.Iam sure he will do that job with in the time.
June 14th, 2010 at 4:50 pm
@ Shri. AVI Chattopadhyay
Your argument that BJP should leave the path of “Hindu fanatics”, I think you are new to this blog. Let me welcome you on behalf of BJP Sympathizers and supporters. BJP is now accustomed to hearing this farce every now and then from media, congress supporters and ignorant Indians. You must know, as we all know, that Hindutva is neither hard nor fanatic. This country is secular, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic - all because of predominant Hindutva here that provides an umbrella to all faiths to flourish under.
By the way, on Hindutva issue itself media and so called pseudo-seculars keep attacking BJP, so if BJP takes up the cause of Sanathana Dharma then just imagine what this ’so-called’ secular media will do to it ?
So, sir if you have a view other than this you should post your message here or you can write your opinion on others blogger’s view rather than calling BJP a party of Hindu fanatics. I am sorry but it seems sheer ignorance on your part. And if you call BJP as such then you are calling people of 116 constituencies of this country as a ‘Hindu Fanatics’ who elected BJP MPs ! Think about it.
On the contrary, I feel BJP must re-visit its core Hindutva ideology - which encompasses all - by 2014 or else people will lose faith in it.
June 14th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
“For too long Hindu nationalism had been cowed; it was now finding its true voice, and this resurgent yearning can only be good”.
V.S. Naipaul(Nobel Laureate )on Babri Demolition
June 17th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Honorable Sir,
I am glad to say that I have seen your film named ‘Dada’ directed by your daughter Pratibha Advani. In this film your ideal father image has been narrated which is commendable. But I want to narrate your Ideal Poltical Image as your daughter did by making a film.Therefore I request to permit and guide us. In the past, the email has been sent to your daughter but no response received.
email-id:raj_6872@yahoo.com
Your’s Sincerly
LalChand Nathani
Advocate and Legal Advisior
+91-9826218939
June 20th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
I want to discuss a serious issue after 12 june 2010 incident followed by june 19 [in Bihar]. By profession I am an engineer. I am not a party worker but a serious well wisher of the party.
Can you just recall what exactly went wrong in UP ? Why has party become so weak in UP ? Are you not repeating the same mistake in BIHAR too ? You supported mayawati govt from may 2002 to Aug 2003 due to certain political circumstances while Mayawati insulted BJP leaders and party workers innumerous times. I am from UP and have been brought up surrounded by people who have been blind voters for BJP and now I see them moving away from the party. And all that happened after 2003 only. Now I hardly see any party worker in my constituency.
WHY ? What exactly went wrong ? Did party not give a msg that party did not care about its workers or party’s self respect..? And after giving such msg where party stands in UP today, you can see. Are you not doing the same mistake in BIHAR ?
June 20th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
@jaykumar :
I totally agree with you that BJP must re-visit its core Hindutva ideology. I am from small town and I know that even illiterate people of those small town do not support BJP’s core hindutva ideology. And please start practicing it as soon as possible. Don’t start it just before elections. People are not fool. Development model of Gujarat gives you more popularity and votes than Varun Gandhi’s speeches.
June 29th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Dear Sir,
As a young citizen of India, it is fascianating to learn about the Emergency Era and its fallout. Though Smt Gandhi could not withstand public/ opposition outcry against her and therefore her aides advised her to proclaim Emergency. It was the responsibility of the next government in power to deliver the goods and tackle national issues like price rise, unemployment, population growth etc. But the non-congress government succumbed to its own internal issues/ pressure and failed to perform.
What is very striking is that the national issues that voted non-congress government to power post emergency have the same issues that we confront today. Honestly religion, casticism do not play in the minds of the voters today (may be earlier) as much as a secured and happy life. The key question that I want to ask you is that what is your party planning to do if voted to power ? How will you make India free from corruption and give a government that delivers on its promises given to people?
February 13th, 2011 at 7:15 pm
…
great advice and discussing,I’ll get this wonderful for me .thank you!…