Turkman Gate
Context:
The Turkman Gate area in Old Delhi has recently faced controversy following a demolition drive by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) that turned violent.
This incident has revived memories of a tragic demolition drive at the same site during the Emergency in 1976.
Historical Significance:
The gate was constructed in the 17th century during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as part of his new capital, Shahjahanabad.
The site's significance predates the Mughal city, rooted in a period when Delhi was a thriving centre of Sufism.
It is named after the Sufi saint Shah Turkman Bayabani.
Unlike a standalone monument, the gate incorporated older settlements and shrines, serving as a key node in the pre-existing thoroughfares of the city
The 1976 Emergency Incident:
In April 1976, during the Emergency, a demolition drive was launched in the area to clear slums.
The confrontation escalated into stone-pelting and police firing
While official figures were lower, subsequent research and survivor accounts estimated the death toll at around 400, with over 1,000 people injured.
Shah Commission:
It was established in 1977 to investigate Emergency-era excesses
It examined the events at Turkman Gate.
Despite its findings on the abuses committed, no senior officials were punished.