Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Turkman gate demolition and rioting

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit

Turkman gate demolition and firing was an infamous case of political oppression and police brutality during the Emergency when the police shot and killed people protesting against demolitions of their houses ordered by Indira Gandhi's government in 1976.

During the Emergency, Indira Gandhi's government prompted by her son Sanjay launched the demolition drive to remove the anti social elements that infested the area, which a menace (due to the increasing crime rates). The residents of Turkman Gate mostly Muslims refused to move as they 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 April 18, 1976, the police opened fire on protesters killing several of them. The government who had earlier imposed censorship ordered the newspapers not to report the massacre. Indian public came to know about killings through foreign media like BBC.

References

Turkman gate demolition and rioting Wikipedia