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Turkman gate demolition and rioting

Coordinates: 28°38′32″N 77°13′57″E / 28.642231°N 77.232591°E / 28.642231; 77.232591
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Turkman Gate incident
Part of The Emergency of 1975–1977
An image of Turkman Gate
Date31 May 1976; 48 years ago (31 May 1976)
Location
Turkman Gate, Old Delhi
Caused byPolitical repression and police brutality
GoalsDemolition of Turkman Gate
MethodsRioting, protests and demonstrations
Parties
Authority
Civilians
Residing people
Lead figures
Casualties
Death(s)
  • 6 (Official)
  • 8-20+ (Police source)
  • 12(Independent researchers)

The Turkman gate demolition and subsequent massacre was an infamous case of political oppression and police brutality during the Emergency when, on 31 May 1976, residents of Old Delhi were killed by police while protesting a slum clearance.[1] An official account of the number of people killed at Turkman gate is not available and a media blackout ensued in the wake of the massacre.[2] One local guide claimed that nine of his friends were killed by the police.[3] More than ten bulldozers razed down illegal structures and homes, and protestors were fired upon by police.[4]

Background

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During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi's government, prompted by her son Sanjay, launched the demolition drive to clear the Delhi municipality of slums, and force poor residents to leave Delhi and move to distant settlements. The residents of Turkman Gate, refused to move as they stayed there from Mughal period (this was an internal part of the walled city) and would have to commute every day paying heavy bus fares to reach the city to earn their living. They resisted the bulldozing of their houses. On 18 April 1976, the police opened fire on protesters killing several of them. The government, who had earlier imposed censorship, ordered the press not to report the massacre. The Indian public learned of the killings through foreign media outlets, such as the BBC. It was later reported that protesters were run over by bulldozers, resulting in several deaths.[4]

Total deaths

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After the incident the police admitted to six deaths: Om Prakash, a CPI(ML) activist who led the rioting,[5] and five Muslim residents of the locality. ASI Govind Ram Bhatia admitted to Shah Commission that eight individuals had actually been killed. Officer Rajesh Sharma, who issued the blank firing order to CRPF, claimed that at least 20 people died in firing.[6] Independent researchers, John Dayal and Ajoy Bose, in their book on the Emergency in Delhi, put the death toll at 12.[7]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ "May 31, 1978, Forty Years Ago: Turkman Gate Report". The Indian Express. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  2. ^ Talukdar, Sreemoy (27 June 2018). "Comparing Modi regime with Indira's Emergency is nonsense; it dilutes the horrors of Indian democracy's darkest chapter". website. Linked in. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  3. ^ Raza, Danish (29 June 2015). "Tragedy at Turkman Gate: Witnesses recount horror of Emergency". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b John Dayal, Ajay Bose (26 June 2015). "The Khooni Kissa of Turkman Gate". The wire newspaper. The wire. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  5. ^ Chakravarti, Ashok (14 September 2021). "Remembering the massacre at Turkman Gate: From a memoir of the Emergency". Scroll.in. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  6. ^ Shah, Justice. "Shah Commission Report". archive.org. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  7. ^ Bose, Ajoy., Dayal, John. (1977). For Reasons of State: Delhi under Emergency. Ess Ess Publications. pp. 35–65.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Sources

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28°38′32″N 77°13′57″E / 28.642231°N 77.232591°E / 28.642231; 77.232591

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