How Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan Shaped India’s Political History
The Delhi Police on Tuesday denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest site. One of the three new designated protest sites, the Ramlila Maidan, which incidentally is closest to the corridors of power in Delhi, has witnessed many memorable rallies and agitations.
Here is a look at the famous agitations that have taken place at the Ramlila Maidan.
Jayaprakash Narayan’s rally in 1975
It was just after a rally of Jayaprakash Narayan at this ground on June 25, 1975, that then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had faced a setback when her Lok Sabha election from Raebareli was set aside by the Allahabad High Court, decided to impose the Emergency.
In his book Jugalbandi, author Vinay Sitapati writes that that a “Janata Front” set up on June 22 of that year to press for Indira Gandhi’s resignation with Nanaji Deshmukh as general secretary organised a huge rally of a 1,00,000 people at the Ramlila Maidan where JP called Mrs Gandhi’s Prime Ministership “unlawful” and asked the police and army to disobey unlawful orders. Within hours, the Emergency was clamped.
Once the Emergency was revoked and elections were due in 1977, JP returned to Ramlila Maidan to campaign for the Janata Party and asked people to choose between freedom and slavery. The Janata Party won the elections held soon after.
Anna Hazare’s fast
Another instance where a spark lit at Ramlila Maidan led to the gradual unraveling of a government was that of the Anna Hazare movement for an effective Lokpal. While Hazare had briefly protested for the same earlier at Jantar Mantar, it was Ramlila Maidan that witnessed his 12-day fast in 2011.
This turned out to be a carnival of sorts for residents of Delhi. People thronged the venue in large numbers, food stalls came up, tea was sold by vendors, patriotic songs were blared, and Hazare got up intermittently to address the audience – often recalling the freedom struggle. The police peacefully stood by as large crowds came to the place and returned – numbering even 1,00,000 on a particular day.
Ramdev’s protest and police raid
It was at the Ramlila Maidan that Baba Ramdev protested for steps to be taken to “eliminate corruption and black money”, again in 2011.
Police swooped in to clear the premises on midnight of 4-5 June, 2011, and Ramdev jumped down the stage to escape from there, disappearing into the crowd. He disguised himself in a salwar suit but was finally detained by the police.
Syama Prasad Mookerji’s Kashmir Satyagraha
Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerji also launched a Satyagraha at Ramlila Maidan in 1952 against Article 370 and against the permit system required to enter the state. He died in detention a year later, after entering Jammu without a permit.
Other protests and rallies
One abortive protest where the agitators were not allowed to reach the Ramlila Maidan was in March 2020, when about 200 students were detained by the police when they were marching from Jantar Mantar to Ramlila Maidan against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
In April 2023, worker and farm organisations associated with the CPI (M) – the CITU and All India Kisan Sabha – held a rally at the ground demanding MSP and higher minimum wage for workers.
The rally was called Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Rally. In March 2024 too, hundreds of farmers from Punjab and Haryana gathered at the ground for legal guarantee of MSP on crops and loan waivers.
In October 2023, demonstrations were held at the ground for restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
In March 2024, Opposition parties organised the Loktantra Bachao Rally at the Ramlila Maidan.
Indira Gandhi addressed a rally at the ground after India’s 1971 military victory over Pakistan that led to the creation of Bangladesh.
