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Emergency

  Continued to read A fine balance by Rohinson Mistry. Narration of Emergency period is continuing. As is mentioned in the story, I vaguely remember the days when there was slum demolitions to beautify the cities.   One more thing I remember about the 20 point programme is that, there was this slogan. Bete ka char, ma ka bees , dono milke char so bees. I think later the 4 point program of Sanjay Gandhi was changed to 5 point program.     After the elections when Indira Gandhi lost the elections, in our town  which was bordering Maharashtra, the locals had organized the procession, wailing "amchi ayi geli (our mother is gone)"     One good thing which came out of Emergency period was the Janta party. It is a different matter that now it is split into infinite number of divisions. And there was a true leader Jayaprakash Narayan. I do not remember much about him except that he was supposed to be true Gandhian type of leader. Doesn't our count...

Misa

 Our kannadiga brothers will say I know it and I have it, touching the hair on their upper lips. I am not talking about mise or moustache in Kannada but MISA.    I had heard this when I was a little girl. That is ages ago. In 1977 , then prime minister Indira Gandhi had declared state of Emergency. And then there was this law Misa. Maintenance of Internal security Act. Well at that time, I neither knew the full form nor its meaning. Very few things I remember. One of them is our school teacher saying that " A bus conductor was telling a lady " why are you so slowly getting down the bus like Indira Gandhi" Immediately he was arrested by plain clothes policeman who was present there. Second is the stories in magazines which used to eulogize the PM and her rule during emergency and blaming them as soon as she was dethroned. It was really disgusting.    Now why do I refer to these. I am reading "A fine balance" Rohinson Mistry. The time frame of the book is Emerg...