Jailed during Emergency, victims recall atrocities

Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, June 25

The Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, brings pain to five “living legends” of Fazilka, even after 42 years of the event.

They still remember the atrocities they suffered at the Central Jail, Ferozepur, for 18 months where they were treated as “traitors” in their own country.

The five young crusaders of the RSS, namely Janak Raj Jhamb, Prem Phutela, Mahesh Gupta, Raj Kumar Jain and Subhash Phutela (all above 60 years now), who are known as “Zinda Shaheed” (living martyrs) among their friends, were in the age-group of 18 to 21 years at the time of the Emergency.

They raised the flag of revolt against the alleged suppressive measures adopted by the then government. They, along with others, defied the instructions of the government and took out a protest procession from Gandhi Chowk to Pratap Bagh.

“When we reached Pratap Bagh near the railway station, we raised slogans “Revoke Emergency” and “Indira Gandhi and Congress party ‘Murdabad’”.

The police resorted to lathi charge and we were put behind bars in the Ferozepur jail,” recalled Janak Raj Jhamb. He was blessed with a son while he was in the jail and the newly born was named “kranti” (revolution) to inspire others towards patriotism.

Going down the memory lane, Prem Phutela said the government meted out inhumane treatment to the jailed activists.

“We were forced to lie on ice, rats were released in our pyjamas and we were given electric shocks in the jail but we refused to relent. To protest against the atrocities, we observed a hunger strike inside the jail. After that, we were thrown into a dungeon,” alleged Phutela, adding that he still felt body aches some times due to the torture he was subjected to 42 years ago.

They exhorted youths to come forward to serve the country as there were several problems that need to be addressed.

Meanwhile, a ‘black day’ was observed under the banner of “Loktantra Senani Sangh” constituted by the jailed activists here today.

They condemned the Congress for throttling democracy in the country during the Emergency.