How Bombay responded and resisted during 1975 Emergency

Mumbai

Bombay (now Mumbai) was a significant centre of both fear and resistance during the 1975 Emergency in India. The city's response was marked by a mix of initial uncertainty, growing activism and bold acts of dissent across social, political and gender lines.

When the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, Bombay woke up to to a sense of anxiety and uncertainty, intensified by press censorship and the abrupt suspension of civil liberties. Many residents, especially the middle class, initially welcomed the new "order” such as punctual trains and stricter officials but this sentiment quickly changed as the repressive reality became clear.

Among the earliest and most vocal dissenters were lecturers and professors from Bombay University, including Dr Usha Mehta and Dr Aloo Dastur. They signed a strong letter of protest addressed to the President of India and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Many of these academics were later jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), according to a report by HT.

Eminent economists like ML Dantawala resigned from prestigious positions in protest and others, such as PR Brahmananda, participated in national conferences demanding an end to the Emergency.

As per HT, Bombay became a hub for underground activism. The Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal, a civil rights group, coordinated much of the city's anti-Emergency activities. Activists like Ramesh Oza and music critic Amarendra Dhaneshwar joined these efforts, often at great personal risk. Many activists, including socialists and Gandhians, went underground to evade arrest and continue organizing resistance.

A study conducted by the University of Sheffield underscores the pivotal, though often overlooked, role played by women in Bombay’s resistance movement. Leaders like Jayawantiben Mehta, Ahilya Rangnekar, Kamal Desai, Durga Bhagwat and Pushpa Bhave led Satyagraha demonstrations, organised protest marches and provided shelter to activists evading the authorities. Over 500 women were arrested across Maharashtra, many of whom continued to sustain a spirit of resistance within prison walls.

As per a report by HT, the resistance was met with harsh repression. Many activists were detained under MISA and the police targeted protestors with arrests and intimidation. The death of Sarvodaya leader Prabhakar Sharma by self-immolation in Wardha galvanised a new wave of protestors, especially among the youth and women.

The government’s coercive sterilisation campaigns (vasectomy drives) also sparked outrage and further resistance in both the city and surrounding rural areas.

Long periods of incarceration brought together activists from diverse ideological backgrounds - socialists, Gandhians, RSS members and others - fostering a sense of camaraderie, even if their differences persisted after the Emergency ended.