Detention

May 1974

In power

INC — Centre

Acted

Centre

Under

Maintenance of Internal Security Act, 1971; Defence of India Rules, 1971 (named by AIRF and opposition MPs; the government gave a total of arrests without a breakdown by law)

Railway workers and union leaders were arrested across the country during the strike. On 5 and 6 August 1974 the government told the Rajya Sabha that 19,883 railwaymen had been arrested, that 19,236 had been released by 5 August and that about 600 faced criminal cases. Other figures are higher: TIME reported on 20 May that 1,500 union leaders had been jailed; CPI MP Bhupesh Gupta said on 14 May that more than 20,000 had been arrested; AIRF says 50,000 were arrested under MISA, the Defence of India Rules and the Indian Penal Code. [5][6][3][4][1][2]

• 1,500 union leaders jailed (reported 20 May 1974), said TIME [3]
• more than 20,000 arrested by 14 May, said Bhupesh Gupta, CPI MP (Rajya Sabha, 14 May 1974) [4]
• 19,883 railwaymen arrested during the strike, said Government of India (Deputy Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 5 August 1974) [5]
• 19,236 released by 5 August 1974, said Government of India (Deputy Railway Minister, Rajya Sabha, 5 August 1974) [5]
• 50,000 arrested under MISA, said AIRF [1]

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