On the 25th of June, 1975, India was placed under internal
Emergency, under Article 352 of the Constitution. I was then District
Magistrate of Sundargarh. The society responded to this draconian arrangement
in different ways. While aversion was widespread, the proclamation did generate
fear and this got reflected in various ways. Trains kept to their schedule;
government employees surfaced and remained at their places of work and
lawbreakers were either on run or looked apologetic and defensive and assured
of good behaviour. Those were busy days. Soon, some persons, mostly from
Rourkela, were put under detention. However, a few days into the new era, there
was an emergency in the family. I was to rush to Delhi. Revenue Divisional
Commissioner, Northern Division, Shri LI Parija was kind enough to appreciate
the seriousness of the situation and permitted me to leave my place of work for
a few days. I spoke to a friend at Jharsuguda to purchase a First Class ticket
for me in Utkal Express to Delhi. Locating the Driver took a few minutes. I
reached Jharsuguda railway station, to board the train, scheduled for departure
around noon. The platform, however, looked deserted. I found my friend and the
Station Master waiting for me. They looked somewhat helpless. They couldn’t
make the Express Train wait even a minute beyond the schedule. The Train had
left, a few minutes ago. Like the train, I too had an appointment to keep. I
could not have returned home. Armed with a valid Ticket up to Delhi, I sought
for a little space in a Goods Train due to leave the station towards Bilaspur.
Soon I was on move.
Seeing from a speeding train a clear blue sky above and mile
long rail-track behind, is a privilege, denied even to the loco Driver, few
travellers in a train would ever have. The Guard of a freight train alone
enjoys it. That afternoon even he had conceded this privilege to me while he
positioned himself inside the tiny Brake van. I was alone, on the open space
just outside the cabin, seated comfortably on a huge black wooden box that
contained essential tools for the Guard. The kindly Guard, out of reverence,
had cleaned the top of the Box with a piece of cloth and made me sit
comfortably. The train was speeding through lush green forests on either side
of the track, passing by Himgir and Ib Stations of South Eastern Railway,
blowing whistle, rather liberally, and I was witnessing a marvel I had never
seen before. Thousands of butterflies of different colours were flying and
dancing up above and on either side. It was a most fabulous butterfly house I could
ever imagine. They seemed to have left the trees and the flowers to greet the
train. We moved on. I was feeling confident that the efficient loco driver
would surely make his train enter Bilaspur station while the leisurely Utkal
Express would still be lazing around.
The euphoria, however, didn’t last long. After a couple of
hours of smooth, uninterrupted run, I could feel the flying horse was slowing
down. After a few minutes, the train stopped, close to the outer signal of
Champa Station. Holding the banister tight, I leaned almost forty-five degrees,
to have a look at the engine. The Guard had got down. I saw the Loco Driver
coming. He reached me with sadness on his face. There has been a technical
problem; a wagon, having a snag in the axle, needed to be removed and the halt
could be open ended. I thanked him for his help and told him not to worry. The
Guard was equally worried. I thanked him too and asked him whether I could
repeat my adventure in another Bilaspur bound Goods train. “That should be possible”,
he seemed to have whispered. I got into the next train after sometime. The crew
members of the new train were equally courteous and considerate. I reached
Bilaspur, maybe four hours after Utkal Express had left and I got into a Train
that was getting ready towards Katni. This time it was carrying passengers. I
found the First Class compartment a bit crowded but had at least one passenger
who was lively, smiling and hospitable. He soon got to know me and about my
mission so far. He saw hunger on my face and soon I was treated to a sumptuous
meal even before the train had moved out. The kindly person worked in Indian
Railways. Journey up to Katni and then up to Bina was pleasant. The Utkal
Express had gone out of sight and even out of my mind. I was more keen on
reaching Delhi. The last leg of the journey, from Bina, was in an overcrowded
Express Train. For an hour or so I travelled standing, along with many others.
I reached Delhi almost after 40 hours of leaving
Jharsuguda-- a distance that normally would have been covered in 27 to 28 hours
by Utkal Express. The next morning I set myself on a mission mode. A lawyer had
to be engaged in the Emergency bound Delhi to fight for personal liberty barely
days after Emergency had been proclaimed. Delhi till then was not a very
familiar place for me and it did not seem the right place ; nor was the time
opportune for discussing on the virtue of personal freedom. Friends and relatives,
however, helped. I finally met an elderly Advocate in his humble chamber and
briefly narrated our case. He listened to me with bated breath. An old timer,
wedded to Rule of Law, he couldn’t believe my story. How could anyone in normal
state of mind believe that seven innocent students from different parts of the
country, pursuing higher studies, in the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru
University would be shouting slogans and going out in procession denouncing
imposition of Emergency? All of them had been picked up from their rooms ---
Pramode, my brother, was in Kaveri House--- at wee hours of a morning, a couple
of days after the proclamation of Emergency precisely on that allegation. They
were lodged in Tihar Jail. I could sense the righteous indignation of the
gentle Advocate. Soon, an application for bail was moved and Court released
him. After seven nights, he walked out to freedom, to go back to JNU to resume
study. My mission was over and I returned to duty.
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