Shah Commission Report (Lost, and Regained)

A Precious historical and political document - once buried, now got resurrected.

Investigation of the widespread misuse and abuse of power during the imposition of double emergencies, external and internal, in 1975-77.

Compiled and Edited by

Era Sezhiyan

Former Member of Parliament

To investigate the widespread misuse and abuse of power during the imposition of double emergencies, external and internal, in 1975-77, the Janata Government headed by Morarji Desai appointed in May 1978 the Commission of Inquiry under Justice of Supreme Court.

Justice Shah investigated enormous number of cases and voluminous evidences from the former Ministers and Officials and submitted by August 1978 his Report. Due to internecine quarrel and split in the Party, the Morarji government fell in August 1978. On her return to power in 1980, Indira Gandhi is reported, by her own sympathetic biographers, to have arranged to seize all copies of the Shah Commission Report and destroyed them, to the extent that prominent web-sites, journalists and scholars have come to conclude that 'not a single copy of Shah Commission Report exists in India'.

A precious historical and political document cannot die and should not be allowed to be 'buried' and hidden, from the public, particularly of India.

Era Sezhiyan, as a Member Parliament during the three Emergencies from 1962 to 1977, came forward to compile and edit to present the full text of the Shah Commission Report with an introduction analysing the Constitutional Provisions and Judicial views relating to the proclamation of Emergency and the working of the then Government in violation of several democratic norms and rule of law.

How the Report was Lost?

To enquire into the excesses and malpractices committed under the 1975-77 Internal Emergency, the Janata Government appointed in May 1977 the Commission of Inquiry under Justice J.C.Shah, former Chief Justice of India. The Commission submitted its report by August 1978. However, on return to power in January 1980, Indira Gandhi arranged seizure of all copies of the Shah Commission Report and destroyed them. It created an impression that 'not a single copy of the Report exits in India' as per the following assertive statements in the web-sites, journals and books:

Wikipedia

"The government (of Indira Gandhi in 1980) took the extraordinary step of recalling every published report and destroying the copies. It is now believed that not a single copy of this report exists in India." (Updated August 14, 2010) 

Frontline

(April 28-May 11, 2001 - a book review by Sukumar Muralidharan):

"...it is believed that not one copy of its final report has survived within the country."

Indian Express

(Mumbai, July 4, 2000 - 'How they buried Shah Commission Report, even without an epitaph' by Amrith Lal.)

"The fact is the Report of the Shah Commission of Inquiry is now a rarely found document."

Indira-The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi

by Katherine Frank, Harper Perennial

"Despite its serious shortcomings, the Shah Commission Report survives as a treasure trove of evidence for Sanjay Gandhi's illicit power in the period leading up to and during the Emergency...It is not surprising that Indira Gandhi had all the copies of the Report withdrawn as soon as she regained power in 1980." 

The Week

(July 25, 2010, Probe The Commission.)

"With Indira returning to power in 1980, the Shah Commission report was gradually buried."

This compendium compiled and edited by Era Sezhiyan has 'regained' the Shah Commission Report for everyone in India.