Shake Off Fear, Strengthen Democracy

Summary

This is a three-page bundle of circulars issued by the Hindustani Movement (Indians in Service of India), Bombay, between 29 January and 1 February 1977, on the eve of the post-Emergency general election. A covering letter from Anupam Mehta, Convenor of the Bombay Hindustani Movement, forwards two enclosures for members to sign and circulate: the Movement’s formal statement on ‘The role of the Hindustani Movement in Elections’ and the appeal ‘Shake Off Fear, Strengthen Democracy’, both signed by National Convenor Madhu Mehta.

The substantive appeal urges ‘brave, patriotic and freedom-loving Indians’ to abandon apathy and cynicism, step out of their homes, and work — without payment — for parties and candidates of their choice. It insists that an election ‘is not a fun-fare’, but a serious civic occasion in which citizens must conduct themselves with ‘dignity and decorum under all circumstances, however provocative’. Volunteers who accept these conditions are invited to enrol in a new corps called the ‘Bhay-Hatao-Dal’ (roughly, ‘Banish-Fear Corps’), taking a pledge to work for principles rather than material gain and to eschew violence.

The accompanying ‘role in elections’ note clarifies that the Hindustani Movement itself is ‘completely non-political’ and will not contest; individual members are free to work for any party. Dal recruits must, however, pledge to expect no cash or kind, to fix a definite time for campaigning, to behave with dignity, and, if they personally stand as candidates, not to invoke the Movement’s name in their campaign. The third page carries the printed pledge form itself — ‘I shall cast off all fear and will work with decorum and dignity … I shall not indulge in any violence. I shall vote and persuade others to vote’ — together with practical ‘Other Suggestions’ asking recruits to collect further pledges, monitor malpractices in their own or others’ organisations, and enlist Lions, Jaycees and similar civic bodies to hold joint meetings with candidates.

Key points

• Three linked circulars (29 January, 31 January and 1 February 1977) from the Hindustani Movement, Bombay, distributed to members ahead of the March 1977 general election.
• The Movement as a body declares itself ‘completely non-political’ and will not contest elections, but exhorts individual members to campaign for parties and candidates of their choice.
• Central initiative is the ‘Bhay-Hatao-Dal’, a volunteer corps whose members pledge to work for principles without any remuneration, in cash or kind.
• Members of the Dal take an explicit pledge to cast off fear, act with ‘decorum and dignity … under all kinds of circumstances’, and refuse to indulge in any violence.
• A candidate who himself contests is barred from using the Hindustani Movement’s name in his campaign, preserving the Movement’s non-partisan stance.
• National Convenor Madhu Mehta invokes ‘the famous Philosopher, Thoreau’ — ‘To renounce liberty, is to renounce being a men’ — as the pledge’s moral anchor.
• Practical annexures ask recruits to gather further pledges, expose malpractices in their own or rival organisations, and rope in service clubs (Lions, Jaycees) to host joint candidate meetings.
• Anupam Mehta, Convenor of the Bombay chapter, forwards the pledge and appeal with a request that members sign ‘by return of post’ and pass copies to friends.