Declaration of Emergency in India

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Declaration of Emergency in India . This  is the day when Indira Gandhi , at the advice of Sanjay Gandhi and his touts ,declared emergency.

I have a very funny yet poignant tale to tell ,about an incidence concerning me.

Its centred around 2 of my uncles- both dead now

The elder uncle worked for B M C- Road Repairs Department- 'N ' -Ward Ghatkopar then.

He fell sick and was advised complete bed rest by the doctors,

His younger brother, who worked for the Central Railway, thus went with the Medical Certificate, to hand it over to the concerned clerk .

The clerk [ must be really over-smart], told my uncle in Marathi of course - Do you not know that emergency is imposed in India and no body can remain absent. I will not accept this bogus medical certificate and will arrest you- if you submit it [ ha ha ARREST]. Just imagine the fear a common Indian, had in mind about the powers of a clerk to arrest a person during emergency. This was  ignorance combined with  imaginary fear.

My uncle, overwhelmed with the threat did not submit the medical certificate and came back and narrated the whole incidence to me.

I told him not to worry and will accompany him the next day to the Ward Office.

Hence next day, I accompanied my uncle to the ward office and met the clerk. He repeated the same to me , thinking ,I too will cow down to his threats.

What I told him has to be told in vernacular, as it cannot be appropriately translated, though I will make an attempt to do so.

I started with  'Tu ' a bit derogatory compared to  'Tumhi' or 'Aapan' [ Tum and Aap in Hindi ]

' Tu kay mala chutya samajto [ Do you think I am an idiot ]. Tula swatala tuzya sahebala vicharlya shivay mutayla jaycha adhikar tari ahe ka.[ Do you even have the authority to go and piss without the permission of your superior].Jast hushari kelis tar mich tuzi complaint karun tula suspend karin [ If you try to become overs mart, I will complain against you and suspend you. Gupchup hey ghe ani sahebana de.[ Take this and give it to your boss ]. I have omitted the  select invectives , I used to emphasise my say due to impropriety of language.

Of course, he took it and nothing happened later .My uncle joined his job , after he was fit and duly retired 12 years later.

Dilip Apte

June 25 , 2015