Uttawar, a small village in Haryana, India, was the scene of a chilling government operation in November 1976. On a cold night, police surrounded the village, demanding that men of fertile age gather in the village square. While many residents fled in fear, Mohammad Deenu chose to stay. He and 14 other men were taken away by police as part of a controversial forced sterilization program initiated during a time of national emergency under then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
This period, lasting from June 1975 to March 1977, saw the suspension of civil liberties in India. Thousands of political opponents were imprisoned, and the press faced heavy censorship. Amidst this backdrop, the government launched a massive sterilization campaign, with financial backing from the World Bank and the United States, aimed at controlling the population.
Deenu, now in his late 90s, recalls how the village elders decided to sacrifice some of their men to avoid greater repercussions. “We saved this village by our sacrifice,” he said, reflecting on the event decades later. He believes that their actions protected the future of their community.
During the emergency, over 8 million men underwent forced vasectomies, with around 6 million of those procedures occurring in 1976 alone. Tragically, nearly 2,000 individuals died due to complications from these surgeries. The trauma of that night still lingers in Uttawar, where the scars of the past are evident.
In the years leading up to the emergency, India had already established a national family planning program in 1952, but by the 1970s, the government was pushing for more aggressive population control measures. The rising birth rates were seen as a threat to economic growth. Under pressure from international lenders, the government resorted to coercive tactics, including setting sterilization quotas for officials and punishing those who did not comply.
In Uttawar, the police raid was brutal. Mohammad Noor, a 13-year-old at the time, witnessed the chaos as officers stormed his home. His father fled into the jungle, while Noor was briefly detained and beaten, only to be released due to his age. The raid left the village in shock, with many homes ransacked and food supplies contaminated.
The aftermath of the operation was devastating. Men who were sterilized faced social stigma, leading to broken engagements and ostracism from neighboring villages. The psychological impact of the event haunted many, with some never recovering from the trauma.
Today, India has moved away from coercive population control methods, and the fertility rate has stabilized at just over two children per woman. However, some experts argue that the atmosphere of fear and repression from the emergency has returned under the current government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Concerns about the erosion of democratic norms and civil liberties echo the sentiments from the emergency years.
Deenu, reflecting on his experience, noted the personal toll of forced sterilization. He was taken to a sterilization camp after eight days in custody, but he remained focused on his family. His wife, Saleema, later gave birth to their only son. Despite the trauma, Deenu takes pride in his family, now spanning seven generations.
As Uttawar remembers its painful history, it also serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding democratic values and human rights in the face of government overreach.