November 28, 1977, Forty Years Ago; Warning to Indira

Indian Express front page.

A warrant will be issued, if necessary, to bring Indira Gandhi before the Shah Commission, Home Minister Charan Singh, said. This step will be necessary if she refuses to honour any summons that the Shah Commission is forced to issue, he added while addressing a public meeting in Bombay. He said the Shah Commission would find out whether extraordinary circumstances had arisen for the proclamation of internal emergency on June 25, 1975 permitting Mrs Gandhi to bypass even the Cabinet. He felt amazed at the proclamation of some Congressmen that the leadership of Mrs Gandhi was indispensable for the country. He saw no extra qualities in her, except being the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. Even now, she continued to defend the acts of Sanjay Gandhi, Singh said.

The Hindi question

The people of non-Hindi speaking areas should ask the Central government for a clarification on the Hindi question, Indira Gandhi suggested. Speaking at a symposium, the relevance of Nehru today, organised by the Society for Democracy and Krishna Menon Society, Mrs Gandhi said the language question was cropping up due to the Janata government. “We want Hindi as a link language but not at expense of other languages,” she stated.

No AIR for HM

Union Home Minister Charan Singh said that he never listened to All India Radio or see programmes on television also. He said that even in jail, his co-prisoners used to give him news from the radio. At home, his grandchildren told him about news they heard. Asked at a press conference whether he listened to foreign broadcasts, Singh remarked: “When I do not listen to my radio (AIR) why should I listen to foreign broadcast?”