And it is also an ugly act of political vendetta. It is simply an effort to punish, to punish her for something of tremendous importance that she was trying to do. She was trying to bring this country to a certain order; that was her fault. She was trying to bring this country to a certain discipline, was trying to destroy the smugglers, the hooligans, the dacoits, the exploiters, and all those have joined together behind Morarji Desai. They are all afraid. If she comes back into power again, there will be trouble. Morarji is a protection.

The real power is not that of Morarji Desai, the real power is in the hands of the Hindu fascists of this country. Morarji Desai said when he punished Indira Gandhi – expelled her from Parliament, and imprisoned her – he said, “Now people can know it, now it is proved that I am not an impotent person. I can do things.”

But in fact, it proves just the contrary; it simply proves he is impotent. He is impotent against the fascist forces that are working behind him. He is just a facade; the real forces are in the hands of Hindu fascists. This act has simply proved that he is utterly impotent, that it is not he who is in power, but a few other people who are standing behind him; they are in real power. They want to crush Indira Gandhi, to destroy her. They want to destroy all the forces that are revolutionary and progressive in this country.

This act is also anti-democratic. It is an insult to the people who had elected Indira Gandhi to Parliament. It is utterly anti-democratic. But whenever people are in power, they tend to become undemocratic. People use democracy only as a ladder to reach to power; once they are in power who cares for democracy?

But I am happy that Morarji Desai did it. I am happy because this is the beginning of the end of his power. I am happy because this has enhanced Indira Gandhi’s prestige.

There is a subtle logic of history, and that logic is that whenever somebody is punished in such a way – ugly, undemocratic – the masses start feeling a certain sympathy for that person. And that’s what has happened: people are feeling more sympathy for Indira Gandhi than they had felt before the punishment. That’s why I say I am happy. This is simply the beginning of the end of Morarji Desai and his gang.

Remember, this country is living in chaos. There is no order; there is no law. This country is living almost without a government. And naturally, anybody who is in a minority is suffering. And what Morarji Desai has given in twenty months is a very bogus government. Certainly impotent! It has not done a thing. It is absolutely dependent on a rotten bureaucracy, and it has been hindering all that is progressive and all that can herald a new beginning, a new future.

Just the other day I read in the newspapers: he has said about me that I am trying to destroy religion and he is trying to protect it. What kind of religion is he trying to protect? He has no understanding of religion at all. But I can understand what he means. He means all that is rotten, dead, of the past. He wants to protect the tradition – he calls it religion. Religion is not a tradition; religion is always a revolution.