Why Governor K.K. Shah recommended dismissal of DMK government in Tamil Nadu during Emergency in 1976
The reluctance of the M. Karunanidhi Government in Tamil Nadu to implement curbs on publications critical of the Internal Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi
The reluctance of the M. Karunanidhi Government in Tamil Nadu to implement curbs on publications critical of the Internal Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi Government at the Centre was among the reasons cited for dismissing his Ministry 50 years ago. At the same time, his government was accused of muzzling media publications run by the Opposition. President’s Rule was declared for the first time in Tamil Nadu on the night of January 31, 1976. A perusal of records from The Hindu archives shows that the then Governor K.K. Shah had sent a detailed report to the Union government outlining reasons for recommending President’s Rule in Tamil Nadu. Free circulation of anti-Emergency reports One of the issues flagged by him was that the attitude of the government to the proclamation of Emergency has been one of lack of cooperation, if not total disregard of the instructions of the Central government. “This resulted in the free circulation of a lot of literature including newspapers containing exhortations and public speeches highly critical of Emergency measures. These publications found their way to the neighbouring States also and complaints were received from Kerala and Pondicherry (a Union Territory, now renamed Puducherry) about the difficulties faced by them by the flow of such literature from Tamil Nadu,” Shah said in his report.
According to Shah, the half-hearted attitude on the part of Karunanidhi-led DMK government was also indicated from the fact that very few activists of the banned organisations were apprehended and inadequate steps were taken to put down circulation of clandestine literature. ‘Media of Opposition parties muzzled’ The Governor also wrote: “Apart from the laxity in the implementation of Emergency measures, there have been glaring instances of misuse of power. For instance, the powers vested in the State Government under rule 47 (1) of the Defence and Internal Security of India Rules, 1971 have been misused to muzzle news media belonging to Opposition parties.” Demand for State autonomy as weapon Another charge against the DMK Ministry was it had misused the broader agenda of State autonomy. “Under the cover of demand for State autonomy, DMK leaders including the Chief Minister and other Ministers have from time to time held out veiled threats of secession in case the desired autonomy was not granted. Sinister comparisons have been made in their public utterances with the events in Bangladesh and the fate of Mujibur Rehman [Bangladesh President, who was assassinated in August 1975],” Shah wrote. According to the Governor, some DMK leaders had also issued a threat of revolution in Tamil Nadu if the life of the Legislative Assembly was not extended.
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