On June 26, 1975, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) Prant Abhyas Varg was underway in Nagar. In the very first session of the varg that day, Balasaheb Apte presented a comprehensive overview of the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi on the night of June 25, its serious impact on our country, and the necessity to fight against it. He said, “It’s a long battle”.
Prominent workers of the RSS, who hadn’t yet been apprehended, went underground in all sectors. For the first few days, the routine involved outwardly normal programs while internally preparing for the struggle against the Emergency.
The Beginning of the Movement
As the academic year began, we (the ABVP) started programs like Guru Pujan and First Student Felicitations in colleges. At each location, we were assessing who could participate in the Satyagrah. The prant team held two meetings, and it was decided to hold a meeting in Pune to plan the Satyagrah to be carried out across the prant. The plan was to conduct academic discussions openly while secretly preparing for the Satyagrah. On October 12, 1975, at 6 AM, Balasaheb presented the overall blueprint for the Satyagrah to all the workers. At 9 AM, the academic discussion was inaugurated.
The Pune Satyagrah
The plan for the Pune Satyagrah was made. The previous day, a general program leaflet had been given to an L.I.B. (Local Intelligence Branch) representative at the office. To create confusion among the police, it was decided to hold Satyagrah simultaneously at 7 colleges on the first day. The plan was to use a different approach at each location to disrupt the police’s decision-making process.
Prakash Javadekar’s group first held a Satyagrah at Pune University, which initiated a series of Satyagrahs across various colleges. Approximately 250 workers, including 35 female students, participated in the Satyagrah through the ABVP. All were sentenced to 1 month to 2.5 months in jail and were sent to Yerwada Jail.
Life in Yerwada Women’s Jail
We were, of course, sent to the women’s jail, where senior female activists arrested under MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act) were ready to welcome us. There were about 20 of them, including Jaywantiben Mehta, Ahilya Rangnekar, Sumati tai Sukalikar, and Pramila Dandavate. They became like our aunts. They were senior, and we were college-going young women. They were a source of support for us, and our youthful, playful demeanour brought them joy during their imprisonment. From the provisions they received, they would prepare new dishes for us every day. With their guidance and cooperation, we organized various programs. The renowned writer Dr. Aruna Dhere was in our group, which made planning diverse programs easier. Aruna would write the scripts for many programs, which included plays, lecture series, Republic Day celebrations, Sankranti festivals, and tearful farewell ceremonies for groups whose sentences were ending. All programs continued with slogans like, “Indira hamko saja kare, Aur jail mein hum sab maja kare.” (Indira may punish us, but we all enjoy in jail.)
Enduring the Ordeal
Occasionally, court dates would come up! The respective groups would be taken to court in police vans. With slogans like “Ye mastane kahan chale, jail chale bhai jail chale” (Where are these enthusiasts going, to jail, brother, to jail), we would travel from Yerwada to the court and back. Every night, there would be some cultural program and a newsletter that reported on the day’s news from inside the prison and whatever little was known from outside. This newsletter was called “Janwani Yerwada Kendra”, and even the government at that time took note of it. At 6 PM, we would be locked in our barracks, and then the writing would begin. After the night’s program, the girls would engage in playful mischief, tossing things around while lying down, which would continue late into the night. This often made it difficult to wake up for morning prayers.
Lasting Bonds and Reflections
Even after the phase of Satyagrahs ended, the Emergency continued for nearly another year. The bond of affection formed with the senior women in MISA during our time in prison grew so strong that it continued to deepen until the Janata Party government came to power after the Emergency was lifted. Throughout this period, all of us, in our own ways, worked to maintain our physical, mental, and political well-being.
The rest of the history is well-known to us.
Anjali Parchure Deshpande
