1975 The Emergency: The Dark Ages of Indian Democracy

OOne of the turning points in Indian politics was the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi’s government on 25 June 1975 and remained in force for 21 months until it was lifted on 21 March 1977. The order gave Indira Gandhi, India’s first female prime minister, the power to rule by decree and saw widespread curtailment of civil liberties.

The roots of the emergency

The emergency dark period that saw Indian democracy brutally crushed: PM Modi

The Emergency has its roots in 1971, when socialist leader Raj Narain was defeated by Indira Gandhi in the Lok Sabha elections from the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh. Narain sued Gandhi, accusing her of using government officials for her election work, alleging fraudulent elections, bribery and violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. On 12 June 1975, the Allahabad High Court convicted Mrs. Gandhi of fraudulent elections and disqualified her from the Lok Sabha and all other elected offices for six years.

However, she could continue as prime minister. In response, socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan started an agitation and asked the government employees to reject the orders of the corrupt government.

Shortly afterwards, on 25 June 1975, on the recommendation of Mrs Gandhi’s government, the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a national emergency, citing the “imminent danger of India’s security being threatened by internal disturbances”, especially after the war with Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh.

What happened

The repressive Maintenance of Internal Security Act was passed during the Emergency era. There has been widespread suspension of basic citizen rights, detention and arrest of opposition leaders and critics, and censorship of the press. The 38th Amendment Act of 1975 also made declarations of national emergency immune from judicial review (this was later removed by the 44th Amendment Act of 1978). Critics were outraged: the Chairman of the Constitution Amendment Committee, Swaran Singh, was accused of “sterilizing the Constitution”. Tamil Nadu saw the dissolution of DMK leader M Karunanidhi’s government and the arrest of his son amid protests under the MISA Act.

The state of emergency remained in effect until 21 March 1977, a 21-month period of mass protests and riots. This eventually also led to the Janata Party wave in 1977 that swept the Congress from power.

Here we take a look at what some prominent voices had to say about one of the darkest periods in Indian history.

When Chennai’s newspaper disappeared

Writer Gnani, who worked as a newspaper reporter in Chennai, recalls how the city reacted. “There was confusion among the politically aware as to what would happen… “The censor wanted to kill the paper by delaying approval. Along with leaving the pages blank, sometimes innocuous things like making onion raitha (salad) would be printed because political news could not be received,” he says.

Calcutta prophets of doom

“I was in Calcutta for my Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June 26,” writes then-President Pranab Mukherjee in his book The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Years. “I reached the Assembly building at about 9.30 am. It was full of state legislators, ministers and political leaders, some with questions and others with conspiracy theories. Some went so far as to suggest that Indira Gandhi, a la Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh, had abrogated the constitution and usurped power for the army to do it for herself. Emergency was declared under the provisions of the constitution rather than despite.

Arrested in Bangalore

Several senior BJP leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani, and socialist leaders such as Shyam Nandan Mishra and Madhu Dandavate were arrested on June 26 in Bangalore… With so many leading figures in the same jail, Bangalore became an important point in the movement against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Mastering the Drill of Democracy – Gopalkrishna Gandhi

Emergency is a distant memory today as the collective backbone of the nation has not bent, the media has remained unbending and the judiciary has remained independent.

Emergency in pictures

Declaration of a state of emergency

A Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years by Pranab Mukherjee provides an insightful account of one of the most tumultuous periods in Indian history.

Advani fears another Emergency

“Now the forces that can crush democracy, regardless of constitutional and legal guarantees, are stronger,” says the veteran leader.

Revisiting the state of emergency

Gyan Prakash’s book on the turbulent period comes at an opportune time

Published – 26 Jun 2015 15:42 IST