My conscience revolted at this dictatorial act: Dev Anand on Emergency crackdown, floating his own political party

New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) After he "vehemently and vociferously" opposed to speak in favour of Youth Congress and its leader Sanjay Gandhi, Dev Anand said his movies were banned from being screened on television and mention of his name forbidden on official media.

The actor described the period of Emergency, which marks 50 years today, and the months after that in great detail in his 2007 memoir "Romancing with Life".

The matinee idol, known for movies such as "Baazi", "Taxi Driver", "Guide" and "Jewel Thief", said his troubles began after "a very charming young lady of the youth wing of the party" charmed him into attending a youth rally, led by Sanjay Gandhi.

While in Delhi, the actor found his colleague Dilip Kumar also there besides all the bigwigs of the party.

"It clearly seemed a planned strategy to have Sanjay accepted by the masses at a time when the rule of law and all norms of fair-play and democratic functioning were stifled...

"The Emergency had been declared for the sole purpose of keeping the ruling party in power and strengthening its hold on the country which had once boasted of being the largest democracy in the entire world," Dev Anand, who died at the age of 88 in 2011, wrote in the book.

After the meeting, the actors were asked to say a few words about the Youth Congress and its leader on television.

"While Dilip also hesitated to go to the TV centre to participate in any propaganda in favour of the Emergency, I vehemently and vociferously opposed the suggestion, with the result that not only were all my pictures banned from being screened on television, but also any mention of or reference to my name on an official media was forbidden, along with Kishore Kumar’s, who had also refused to go and sing in one of their programmes.

"My conscience revolted at this dictatorial act, and I called the information and broadcasting minister in Delhi and sought an appointment with him." V C Shukla, the then information and broadcasting minister, asked why Dev Anand was not cooperating in praising the government but the actor had his own set of questions for the minister, chief among them was: "‘Are we living in a democracy or in a police state?" When Shukla said they were living in a democracy, then Dev Anand asked him why actors were being called to appear on TV to propagate the Emergency.

Shukla tried to convince Dev Anand but the actor was adamant and asked,"How can the government pressurize one's “will” into “sweetening”, if the “will” thinks to the contrary?’" After their meeting, which ended on a polite note, the actor said he knew he had become a "marked man" for refusing to toe the line.

Around this time, Dev Anand was approached to participate in a rally for Janata Party by Ram Jethmalani. The actor admitted that he spent a worried night strolling in his garden as he kept thinking about the what if scenarios in case Indira Gandhi won the election.

"...there was a possibility of all my artistic activity being throttled to the point of annihilation by the vengeful forces represented by Sanjay Gandhi, which would doubtless start to work overtime against me and my interests," he recalled in the book.

But Dev Anand's mind was made up and in his own words, he "rose to the occasion".

"...and the ovation I got at the rally for my presence in it and the short humble speech that I made reaching out to the masses at that historic moment, in the biggest gathering I have ever faced, was one of the most touching and exhilarating experiences I have ever had." But when the Janata government fell within a few years, Dev Anand said many in the industry who had supported the party were disillusioned and that's how the idea to form a new party was floated during a meeting.

"Why not, for a change, and for the sake of the country we loved, form a political party that would transform the ugly slushy shape of things and give it a new shape as magnificent and glittering as a grand film? The assembled gathering picked me to lead the proposed party.

"If MGR could spell magic in Tamil Nadu, why not me in Bombay, leading a movement not only at the state level but through the whole country?" Dev Anand said he accepted the challenge and was elected the president of the party, which was named the National Party of India.

"...The determined motto of which was to help elect only those people to the Lok Sabha who were the most qualified in their respective fields, and therefore the most deserving. We had our first rally at Shivaji Park. It was packed to capacity with a very responsive crowd, ready to vote for our ideology," he recalled.

On Dev Anand's agenda was "a fusion of the ancient with the modern", eradication of illiteracy, gender equality and compulsory English and Hindi with local dialect for everyone. He also wanted a ban on "careless attire like dhoti" during official functions.

Dev Anand wanted farmers and labourers, coolies and aristocrats, "all move around in cars, waving at each other in a spirit of bonhomie".

"And the intellectual elite would be in charge of running the country, showcasing the strengths of a new nation that would dazzle with prosperity and overflow with joy," he wrote.

But the initial enthusiasm of party members fizzled out to the great disappointment of the actor.

"With a deep sense of sadness in my heart, we decided to wind up the show for the time being, and told all our supporters to canvas and vote for the outside candidates that they fancied. And that was the end of the National Party," he recalled.

Dev Anand died at the age of 88 in 2011. PTI BK RB BK BK