Madhu and Pramila Dandavate’s love story unfolded against the backdrop of their imprisonment during the Emergency in 1975.
Separated by over 800 km, with Madhu in Bangalore Jail and Pramila in Yerawada Central Jail, the couple exchanged nearly 200 letters.
As freedom fighters, avowed socialists, and seasoned activists in their own right, both were arrested — Madhu on June 26, 1975, followed by Pramila on July 17, 1975.
During their time in prison, the only way they could communicate was through letters. These letters became their emotional lifeline, filled with discussions on music, literature, and their shared political ideals.
Despite the adversity, Pramila often included humour in her letters, such as teasing Madhu that he had written to her more frequently during their incarceration than at any other time.
The couple also expressed sorrow over their separation from their son, Uday, exploring the tension between their commitments to public service and family responsibilities.
Throughout their incarceration, Pramila wanted Madhu to visit her in prison. That meant writing an application to the court and government authorities.
Although Madhu’s application came through, the court set some rather humiliating conditions like paying for the cost of a security escort during his visit.
Pramila wrote, “No matter how eager I might be to meet you, you know I cannot compromise my principles for any kind of personal gain. And if you were to think otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to bear it.”
In another letter, Madhu quotes a Marathi poet writing, “I don’t want the pathetic intimacy of cowards/I would rather endure being apart from you.”
“They loved each other because they loved freedom. Their love also enriched and extended the meaning of freedom,” writes Gyan Prakash in his seminal work, Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi and Democracy’s Turning Point.
After their release, Madhu and Pramila continued to serve their country, with Madhu becoming India’s Railway Minister and later Finance Minister (1989-1990), and Pramila serving as a Lok Sabha member.