For a person hailing from Saurashtra community, leaving his family profession of manufacturing silk sarees and participating in the struggle for democracy under the pretext of going to college was challenging for former RSS leader and current state executive committee member of BJP, M.S. Ramalingam. He was among the seven members to be arrested from Thanjavur and subjected to police brutality. He recalls his participation in the struggle against emergency.
RAMALINGAM M.S. (Thanjavur) ….
I was 19 years old when I was arrested, probably the youngest to be detained under MISA then. After my PUC I was in the midst of seeking admission to a college when I eagerly participated in the People’s Struggle Committee formed by Jayaprakash Narayan. Members from RSS, Suthindira Katchi, Sarevodaya and many others joined this struggle and the first sathyagraha was held on November 17, 1975, at all district headquarters in India. Though many said they would participate only 1.25 lakh people were arrested in India.
We got arrested after taking a pledge to remain in jail till democracy is ensured. Not many came forward to get arrested. Seven of us from composite Thanjavur was arrested. I assumed a pseudonym of Ram Bharat and silently distributed notices or pamphlets by quietly thrusting them inside houses through windows. My friend and advocate had a typewriting institute then and he had to cyclostyle the notices to be distributed.
I had stayed away from house for about six months till I was arrested along with Rama Rathinam, who was a teacher in Srirangam, former DMK Minister Ko. Si. Mani and AIADMK’s Nallasamy and Aranthangi Rajendran. We were all detained at the Tiruchy Central Prison. Ramakrishnan, a hotel employee, who was arrested along with us died two years ago. He used chalk to write about the agitation plans on the road or used black ink and wrote on newspapers before they were delivered. The police beat him so badly that he sustained injuries on his spinal cord.
We were not spared inside the jail. Our hands were tied behind with a rope and were hung up while police ceaselessly beat us on our feet and legs with their lathis. They asked us to crouch under tables and sit for hours and on other occasion made us kneel, inserted lathis between the knees and applied pressure on both the sides, thus causing excruciating pain.
Due to my arrest my sister’s wedding could not take place and I could not pursue studies after my release. I joined the RSS to serve the nation and was rewarded with many posts. Subsequently, RSS leader Dhanushu convinced me to help my father in the family business as the ‘RSS needed persons to feed them.’ The emergency period was a nightmare that should never happen.
