The states adopted coercive means for achieving the targets and common men became easy prey. Those travelling without ticket in trains were sterilized. Govt officials were not paid arrears unless and until they delivered on sterilization targets. Truck drivers will not get their licenses renewed unless they produced a sterilization certificate. Even slum dwellers were asked for sterilization certificate before they were allotted a plot for resettlement.
The most vociferous opposition came from Muslim community who considered sterilization as completely against their religious ethos. But Sanjay Gandhi was not willing to listen to anything from anybody. In Muzaffarnagar, more than 50 Muslims died in clash with police while they were protesting against govt's rampant sterilization drive.
The legendary playback singer Kishore Kumar also became a victim of Sanjay Gandhi's sterilization drive. Kishore Kumar refused to perform in a programme meant for raising money for sterilization. An angry Sanjay Gandhi ordered the banning of his songs from Vividh Bharati, the AIR channel that exclusively broadcast film music. Not only this, the censor board was instructed to put on hold the release of movies in which Kishore either acted or sand.
On political front, all important political opponents of Indira Gandhi were incarcerated. The list included who's who of opposition parties. Top leaders of all opposition parties ranging from Jansangh to socialist parties, from JP himself to Atal Behari Vajpayee, Advani, Morarjee Desai, Lalu and Nitish were put behind bars. The only exception was CPI that had extended support to Indira's emergency.
