Feudal elements and an array of defeated Congress ministers as well as fractious Congress committees were not the only ones to be the targets of Nehru’s ire: “It is astounding how low our press could sink in vulgarity and falsehood.” Looking back at newspaper headlines of January 1952, I am startled to discover that some of them are still with us, albeit with greater frequency and intensity. A few samples in point are “Congress Banks on Muslim Support”; “Caste Rivalries Weaken Bihar Congress”; “List of Nominees Causes Wider Split”. “Autonomy Demand in Manipur”. “Ministers Face Stiff Opposition” and so on. Sadly, one headline, ubiquitous then, we are unlikely to see all too often is “Polling Was Peaceful”.

The writer is a Delhi-based commentator