The Tale of two Arrests and Fathers Ceremony: A son reminiscences

D.K.Shivakumar (DKS), was in tears on his arrest and for being unable to do his father’s “Pithru Paksha”. We have all seen Congress and its battery of lawyers screaming on his arrest as vendetta politics. Congress leaders close to Sonia also visited DKS in Tihar jail. Allegations on DKS is he has made hundreds of crores of ill-gotten wealth including crores of rupees cash found in his Delhi apartment. Everyone in Karnataka knows the truth. Let’s compare this with another arrest by Indira Gandhi during emergency.

My father H.S. Venkataramaiah known as HSV, was a lawyer in Tumkur and a human being of repute. He was a freedom fighter under congress and was imprisoned during Quit India. Subsequently he became head of Tumkur District RSS (Sanghahalak). He was arrested in 1975 under MISA in Tumkur and subsequently transferred to B’lore Central Jail. In jail he had company of great political leaders like Advani, Madhu Dandavate, Deva Gowda, Justice Rama Jois and hundreds more. He had three studying children and was the only bread earner of family.

Under custody in Bengaluru Central Jail some where during 1976 his kidneys malfunctioned and he had swelling all over the body. His medical readings were not at all encouraging and we had no financial resources to undergo dialysis. Like to recall that Shri Jaya Prakash Narayan also under detention had similar problem and was undergoing dialysis in Mumbai.

HSV had no other option but to look for alternate medicines like homeopathy with very strict diet. So, he approached court and took Parole for 4 weeks on medical grounds. He came back to our house at Tumkur and started alternative medicines immediately. Incidentally his father’s death ceremony fell on 5th day of his return. Ceremonies in certain communities are done with strict rituals including total fasting from previous night until ceremony is completed which normally completes around 3:00 PM. 3-4 Purohits and some close family relatives also attended.

Around 2:00 PM while ceremony was performed a police jeep came to our house with a team of police. The DCP said that Death Ceremony has to be stopped and my father parole has been canceled with immediate effect. My father asked for the reason. Police said it is a medical parole and you have assembled many people at home and discussing anti Indira issues. My father argued that it was his father’s yearly ceremony and he was performing with righteousness. Police showed him a telegram which had originated from Delhi canceling the Parole Order.

After some argument and in view of my father’s reputation Police gave him 30 minutes to pack his clothes. My father could not complete the rituals. He packed his clothes and sat in the police van. There were no tears in his eyes nor did he shout at police officers. Inspite of my father’s kidney conditions and fasting for almost 24 hours he was not given time to eat his lunch. We had to pack him food to eat on the way. Such was the control from Delhi.

There was not an iota of allegation against him, he hadn’t even violated a traffic rule. However, with full confidence and happily he went to Bangalore from Tumkur in a Police van and joined his fellow nationalists at B’lore Central Jail. HSV was released only after 1977 elections results were announced.

45 years have passed and we do not know why was he along with lakhs of opposition and RSS workers were jailed. Not a single FIR was filed. That was the tyranny of Indira. And yes, there were lakhs who suffered much more. None cried nor committed suicide. Proudly they served the Nation. Tragedy is not a single person has been punished for Emergency excesses.