Target Practice: The Human cost of meeting Planned Families and other “development”
goals
John Dayal
[John Dayal is an Indian Journalist and Human Rights Activist
based in New Delhi. John Dayal and Ajoy Bose’s ‘For Reasons of State – Delhi
Under the Emergency’ published in the summer of 1977, has been called one of
the most authentic accounts of life under the State of Emergency imposed by the
then Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi on 25 June, 1975, and lifted on 21
March, 1977.]
In a country where targetted religious, state and terrorist
violence, man-made and natural disasters seem to numb sensibilities and
sensitivities, there can still be incidents of human deaths that shock the
nation out of its stupor. And, for many of us with memories, serve as a
reminder of times when the State went berserk in pursuit of political goals.
Dr. R. K. Gupta, on the staff of the
Government of the State of Chhattisgarh, in the very centre of India, was
arrested early this week and charged with the death of eight women who
underwent tubectomies, “sterilisation” surgeries, to limit their families. More
than two dozen other women are still fighting for their lives in hospital. The Chhattisgarh
government on Republic Day, January 26, 2014 honoured the 59-year old surgeon
for accomplishing a massive target on mass sterilisation in the state-run
campaign. The doctor maintained he was made a scapegoat, and that “the women
had died to the sub-standard drugs given to them after the surgery," he
claimed. Other reports said the medicines had been procured by the government
from dubious drug companies, and that the surgical instruments were old and
rusted. The women died of septic shock.
It
is revealing that Dr. Gupta had operated upon 83 women in six hours on a Saturday
at the Sakri health camp in Bilaspur, spending an average of two minutes operating
on each woman.
It was not that the doctor was deliberately negligent, though that
too is the subject of an enquiry by a peer
group sent from New Delhi. The State government seems in no hurry to admit that
it had set targets which doctors and their staff had to fulfill to meet the
larger goals that several governments have set themselves to reduce the
population, to raise the standards of living specially in rural and semi-urban
areas. This in turn is part of the development goals of the government.
Chhattisgarh is not the only state to set such goals towards
population control. Other provincial governments have done so in the past, and
there have been deaths and other medical crises in “health camps” organised for
various surgeries with ill-trained doctors, unsterilized instruments or
spurious medicines.
A major cause is the stress on the medical staff and their assistants
is in meeting the “targets” in the time given them. The penalties can be
severe, and for staff, which is employed on a temporary or casual basis,
failing to meet the numbers can mean unemployment. Exceeding the goals can get rewards,
including national honours, as in the case of Dr. Gupta.
This is precisely the carrot-and-stick that was offered to
government doctors and others almost 40 years ago, in what is called the Indian
Emergency. The then Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi lost a court challenge
to her election to Parliament, faced an upsurge of public anger, and promptly
suspended constitutional rights, including freedoms of expression and assembly.
Alleging a threat to the State and charging political adversaries of trying to
goad the Armed forces against her, she jailed thousands of politicians, activists
and journalists. From 25th June 1975 till she lifted the state of
Emergency on 21 March 1977, and called for a general election, her younger son,
Mr. Sanjay Gandhi, who became an extra-constitutional centre of political and
administrative power, was arguably running the country. He was surrounded by a
coterie of political cronies and a bunch of senior bureaucrats who quite willingly did his bidding.
Ironically, Mr. Sanjay Gandhi’s wife, Mrs. Maneka Gandhi, is today the Union Minister
for Women and Child Welfare, and his son, Mr. Varun Gandhi, is a Member of Parliament,
a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party which rules India.
The most high profile part of the work of this 1975 Sanjay-led group
was to rid metropolitan cities, specially the national Capital Delhi, of the
slums that scarred its aesthetic appeal. Hundreds of thousands of the poorest
people in the city living in hundreds of shanty clusters next to the well
planned housing developments of the rich and powerful. These shanty-dwelling men
and women who worked as labourers, drivers and the domestic help for the rich, suddenly
saw bulldozers raze their slum to the ground. The police herded the now homeless
people in trucks and drove them to the outskirts of the city, where they were
given 22-square meters of land marked out in chalk on the barren ground, and
told to rebuild their lives. These so called “resettlement colonies” in later
years, in another political irony, became a political vote mine that kept the
Congress in power in the city for decades. These areas were repeatedly racked by sectarian violence,
the most infamous was the killing of more than 350 Sikhs who were burnt alive in
Trilokpuri in east Delhi in the three days following the assassination of Mrs.
Indira Gandhi by her Sikhs bodyguards on 31 October 1984.
The second brainwave of Mr. Sanjay Gandhi and his team of advisers
was to focus on India’s development by containing its population. An unspoken
target was the Muslim community, which then, as now, was presumed to be
multiplying at too rapid a rate and would disturb the demographic balance of
the country where religious tensions are always close to the surface.
Population control had failed when it was left to the people as a
voluntary measure. It was then that someone thought of pressing government
employees, and workers in para-government organisations, to muster people and
bring them over for sterilizations. These were supposed to be both vasectomies for
men, and tubectomies for women. Camps were set up in all sorts of places. One
was in Dujana House within sight of the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi. Others were in tents, school buildings and
the compounds of hospitals. This reporter has in his archives a copy of the Emergency
manual, which was hastily printed to train medical and paramedical staff on how
to carry out a vasectomy, a Do-It-Yourself set of instructions as it were.
There was nothing polite in the coercion. Employees and officers
could lose their jobs if they refused. However, the promised ‘gift’ of a tin of
hydrogenated vegetable oil for cooking and a cash dole was not enough to persuade
men to come forward for a vasectomy. Patriarchal society that India is, most
anyway would send their wives. But if one was a lowly municipal employee who
had two children, there was no escaping the scalpel. In some town near Delhi,
people did protest, and faced police action. Many were killed when police
opened fire on angry mobs There has never been a real accounting of such cases.
I have dug out from my Archives, documents that we had collected during
the Emergency and kept safe, a few official orders and at least one official
Press Statement. Like any artifact dug up by an anthropologist, they show the
urgency, the political desperation and the subservience of government officials
who were all too willing to obey the most bizarre of political commands,
sometimes out of fear, and often for a share in the glory of power.
Such human stupidity is, unfortunately, still on display.
-------
Some samples of the orders of a Government gone berserk.
APPENDIX
I
RAJ
NIWAS DELHI
PRESS
NOTE
The
Lt. Governor, Shri Krishan Chand, has been laying a great deal of stress on
Family Planning on December 26, 1975 he inaugurated a special camp in Kasturba
Hospital. A note worthy feature of this camp is that the financial incentive
was raised 5 times in the case of motivators. Hitherto, motivators were paid
Rs. 2/- per case. On the special camp motivators were paid Rs. 10/-. In a
special Camp held in September 1975 as many as 425 operations had been
performed within a fortnight. This was considered a record. A second camp was
organized in the same area from December 26, 1975. In a fortnight about 1000
operations were performed.
In
addition to various campswhich are going on in different parts of the city
including the Badarpur and Shahdara area, the Delhi Administration, under the
Lt. Governor’s directions, has been processing several incentive and
dis-incentive measure to lower the birth rate in the Union Territory of Delhi.
It
has now been decided that incentives and dis-incentives will apply both to the
general public and the employees of Delhi Administration. The measures which
are likely to come into force almost immediately are as follow:-
For the General
Public
(i)
Allotment
of houses, flats, tenements, shops and plots in all groups i.e. Janta, Lower, Middle
and other income groups will be made to only those who have limited their
family to two children. And eligible couples will be open to hire purchase and
installment basis facilities. Those couples that are not eligible would have to
pay for all such houses etc on lumpsum basis. (An eligible couple for the
provision of these facilities means a couple who has less than two children and
has given the prescribed undertaking, or a couple having two or more children
who get either spouse sterilized).
(ii)
Non-eligible
couples will not be eligible to houses, buildings loans. (As eligible couple
for the provision of this facility means a couple who has less than two
children and has given the prescribed undertaking, or a couple having two or
more children who get either spouse sterilized).
(iii)
Entrepreneurs
having two children coming forward for establishment of a small scale industry
will be entitled to loan only if they get themselves sterilized and produce a
sterilization certificate from the authority prescribed. Those having more than
two children will not be eligible at all. Those having no/one child they will
be entitled to loan only on furnishing and undertaking that they will restrict
their family to two children only. They will have, further, to furnish an yearly
declaration about the number of children and will also be bound to inform the
department of any addition in the family. Any breach of the undertaking will
entail withdrawal of loan facilities, forfeiture of the payment already made
and recovery of the balance as arrears of land revenue.
(iv)
Only
individuals who have been able to show by their ration cards that they have two
or less than two children will be allowed free medical coverage in Government
hospitals. Those having more than two children will receive this free coverage
only after producing a sterilization certificate from the authority prescribed
in respect of the husband. Those who have failed to obtain this sterilization
certificate will have failed to obtain this sterilization certificate will have
to pay a minimum of Rs.5/- per visit for the OPD, and Rs. 10/- for the indoor.
(B) Government Servants, Employees of Local
Bodies, Government Undertakings etc.| Autonomous Institutions Under Delhi Administration.
(i) Recruitment Stage: At the time of interview
individuals having two or less than two children will get due weightage.
(ii) Before appointment, unmarried/recently
married/those having less than two children will have to give an undertaking
that they will limit their family to two children. Breach of the undertaking
will dis-entitle the employed member from confirmation.
(iii) Such individuals who have more than two
children, within two months of the issue of this order will have to get
sterilized before they can be appointed and produce a sterilization certificate
from the authority prescribed.
(iv) Employment of daily wages/seasonal basis
e.g. Malaria Workers will be only available to such individuals who have two or
less than two children or who have obtained sterilization certificates from the
authority prescribed.
In Service
Personnel
(i) Those having more than two children shall
not be entitled to festival advance, housing loan, car/scooter advance,
cooperative loan, allotment of scooter on priority basis till they get
themselves sterilized or until they give the prescribed undertaking. In the
case of such personnel already having more than two children, they will not be
entitled to these facilities until they get sterilized and produce a
sterilization certificate from the prescribed authority.
(ii) Those having more than two children will
not be entitled to government accommodation if they do not get sterilized or if
they fail to give a written undertaking that they will limit their family to
two children. Those in occupation of Government accommodation will become
dis-entitled as soon as there is a child added to the family beyond two
children. In the case of such employees who are already in occupation of
Government accommodation and have already more than two children, they shall be
entitled to retain the Government accommodation only after getting sterilized
and producing a sterilization certificate from the authority prescribed.
(iii) All freeships, provision of free book
grants, children education allowance, uniform allowance, washing allowance and
similar other allowances which the lower income group amongst the Government
servants enjoy today, will be available only to the employed members from
amongst eligible couples.
(iv) Such Government servants who limit their
families to one will be entitled to out of turn allotment of plots, houses,
tenements from Delhi Development Authority. For this purpose a special quota
will be reserved.
(C) Community Incentives
(i) Gaon Sabhas in the rural sector who
produce the maximum number of sterilization cases in one financial year
(minimum 100 cases) will be entitled to drinking water and irrigation water
facilities on a priority basis.
(ii) A metropolitan constituency which produced
the maximum number of cases will be entitled to a certain community incentive
like beautification, additional schools, health benefits and similar services.
The elected representative of such a constituency will get an incentive of Rs.
20,000/- to be used for the betterment of his constituency.
(iii) Such Government servants especially who are
opinion leaders in their areas e.g. doctors, nurses, paramedical staff. Teacher
who set 50 or more than 50 sterilisation done in a year will be entitled to a
letter of commendation and an extra increment. A Government servant who tops in
this performance (family workers excluded) will in addition receive an
honorarium of Rs. 100/- per month the following year.
APPENDIX
II
LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR’S SECT.
DELHI
PRESS RELEASE
DELHI, APRIL 19, 1976
The Lt.
Governor, Shri Krishan Chand, has issued the following statement to the press:
“Certain
reports are reaching the Administration that some interested persons are bent
on creating conditions in which the work of family planning can not be carried
in an orderly manner.
The facts are that as a results of the
persistent efforts of the Motivational Committee on Family Planning headed by
Smt. Vidyaben Shah, President, NDMC, and of Ruksana Sultana Saheba, 15,000
persons male and female have offered themselves voluntarily for measures which
will check the reproduction of unwanted children permanently. The people are
motivated because large families, particularly in the city areas, live in very
trying conditions of housing, education and incomes generally.
There
are certain vested interests who for their own reasons want to impede the
process of this vital social programme. Family planning constitutes the core of
national re-construction on which the nation has embarked. It is the duty of
every citizen to give full co-operation in this stupendous task. By restricting
the size of families, the living standards will go up. The economic gains
conserved and a new era of prosperity ushered. I am confident that the small
groups with vested interests will not be allowed to operate to the determent of
the vest sections of our people.
I
want to make it clear beyond doubt that if any obstruction is caused to the
doctors, the nurses or the personnel and the workers engaged in promoting the
family planning programme, very drastic action will be taken against the offending
persons.
Today
itself in Dujana House, where a family planning camp was opened only four days
ago, over 300 cases have already been treated. I am certain that this momentum
will gather in strength. We are at the beginning of the work and by no means it
is the end of it. It is necessary to have the co-operative of all right
thinking persons so that this stupendous programme can be successfully
executed.
It
is the duty of the Delhi Administration that all incentives disincentives are
offered for carrying on the work successfully. Some of the measures already
taken have been announced and the public will be kept fully informed of further
measures and facilities to be provided from time to time.
APPENDIX III
MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF DELHI
CENTRAL ESTABLISHMENT SECTION
No.
15/CES/HCIV Dated
: 15.4.76
OFFICE ORDER
In
continuation of this circular No. 14/CES (HCIV) dated 6.4.76 and the
instructions issued by the Health Deptt. Vide their circular No.
HD/MSCW/76-481, dated 1.4.1976, the following further/instructions are issued
to all heads of the Deptts./ZACs/Drawing & disturbing officers for strict
compliance to make the programme of family planning a real success :
(i) No recruitment or promotion, efficiency
bar, increments or confirmation of any staff member of any category be done
till he/she produces sterilization certificate if he/she has more than two
children.
(ii) All muster roll employees and daily wages
may be allowed to get six days leave with full pay after vasectomy operation
and 14 days leave with pay after tubectomy operation.
(iii) A municipal employee will be entitled to get
municipal accommodation only if he/she produces sterilization certificate in
case he/she has more than two children. Those already in possession of accommodation
have either to produce the certificate within one month of issue of these
instructions or penal rent will be charged from them.
(iv) No loans or advances from provident fund
etc. be sanctioned to any employee till sterilization certificate is produced
if he/she has more than two children.
(V) No earned leave or any other long leave be
sanctioned to the employee except on medical grounds unless sterilization
certificate is produced if he/she has more than two children.
(vi) No reimbursement of the cost of medicines
be allowed till sterilization certificate is produced if he/she has more than
two children.
(Vii) No maternity or abortion leave be granted to
a female employee who already has two children.
(viii) No fellowships in India or abroad will be
granted to any official having more than two children unless he-she produced a
certificate that he/she has undergone sterilization.
2. All heads of the Deptts./RACs/ drawing
& disbursing officers may please get information filed up in the enclosed
proforma (A) within 4 days of the receipt of this order or by 30th
April, 1976 whichever is earlier, in respect of each officer/working under them
and ensure that aforesaid instructions are fully enforced in respect of
officers/officials having more than two children and those having two children
are made to give an undertaking in the following form:-
Undertaking
“I hereby
declare that I have at present----children only and I hereby undertake to
restrict my family to two children only. In the event of breach of this
undertaking, I understand that I get exposed to any penalty that may be
prescribed by the competent authority”.
“I further
undertake to furnish yearly declaration about the number of children and to
immediately inform the administration about any addition to the family.
“Failure to inform the Government in time would also mean breach of
undertaking”.
3. Unless the concerned officer/official
furnishes the above information his salary be not released.
4. In proforma ‘B’ of this circular is
enclosed department wise targets of sterilization which have to be achieved by
each Deptt. By 30th April, 1976. ZACs will make department wise
break up for their respective zones so that the zonal target is achieved by
them.
Sd/-
(V.K.
CHANANA)
DY.
COMMISSIONER(C )
To All
Concerned
ANNEXURE
‘B’
Sterilisation
Targets for April 14 to 30, 1976
Health
Department 1300
Engineering 1000
Education 1000
Garden 500
Water &
Sewage 1000
D.E.S.U. 1000
Assessment
& Collection 100
Terminal Tax 100
Urban Community
Development 300
C.E.S. 400
C.A. 100
Labour Welfare 100
Licensing &
Enforcement 100
Law Office ) 50
Vigilance )
Fire
50
________
Total : 7100
________
N.B. :
ZACS
to implement and see that the Zonal break up of the targets by various
departments is achieved.
APPENDIX IV
MUNICIPAL
CORPORATION OF DELHI
CIVIL
LINE ZONE
No. 124/D/G/7/CIZ Dated
: 26.4.76
It has been
ordered by the Commissioner that all Muster Roll Employees as well as temporary
employees eligible for sterilization
Should produce
a certificate of sterilization by 30th April, 1976 or else they will
loose their job in the corporation. This fact should be clearly made home to
all the employees under you.
He has also
directed that if other officers/officials of the Corporation eligible for
sterilization get themselves sterilized before 30.4.76, they may be transferred
to the place of their choice in addition to incentives already communicated to
them earlier while those who although eligible but do not get themselves
sterilized by 30.4.76 will have to be shifted to unimportant place of posting
in addition to the disincentives already communicated to them earlier. In this
way the employees on outdoor duties will be shifted to indoor duties.
I would again
emphasize upon you all that the commissioner has desired in unequivocal terms
that employees eligible for sterilization showing reluctance for sterilization
will have to be dealt with very severely. It should also be noted that target
date for oneself getting sterilized is 30.4.76. Please inform me by 9 A.M.
tomorrow that the contents of this order have been communicated by you to each
and every member of the staff working under you.
You will all be
meeting me daily at 9 A.M. in my office in this connection with the figures of
achievements.
Sd/-
Zonal Asstt. Commissioner
(CLZ)
All Heads of
Deptt. And Ward officers,
Civil Line Zone
