VC Shukla: Emergency regime propagandist

NEW DELHI: Vidya Charan Shukla, a Congressman by origin who changed parties, had a long and chequered political career but he will remain best known for his iron-fist handling of the media during the infamous Emergency.

Elected to Lok Sabha nine times, the first time as early as in 1957 from Mahasamund in the undivided Madhya Pradesh, Shukla held key portfolios in the Union government including Communications, Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources and External Affairs in various governments.

He was the son of illustrious Congressman and freedom fighter Pandit Ravishankar Shukla, the first Chief Minister of the re-organised Madhya Pradesh. His brother Shyama Charan Shukla was another veteran Congressman, who had served as Chief Minister of the state.

Despite a versatile career, Shukla's role as Information and Broadcasting Minister during the Emergency days had got him some odium as propagandist for Indira Gandhi's government.

His ministry attracted adverse attention for the media censor policy during that period when freedom of speech was under attack.

The Justice Shah Commission of Inquiry which went into the Emergency excesses, had observed among other things that "During the Emergency some of these dramatis personae such as Bansi Lal, V C Shukla, Sanjay Gandhi exercised powers like medieval despots."

During the Emergency, he banned the songs of Kishore Kumar from All India Radio and Doordarshan because the singer once refused to perform at an Indian National Congress rally in Mumbai. However, to be fair to him, Shukla stood by his decisions and owned them before the Shah Commission.