At the stroke of midnight hour, where on the one hand India rose to its freedom on 15th August 1947, on the other hand, it witnessed the death of its democracy for straight two years, starting from 25th June 1975.
The ItihaasKiKhoj tried to condense this dreadful event that shook the Indian constitution into 10 easy points to summarize the emergency for you. Have a look!
- On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court found the then prime minister Indira Gandhi guilty of malpractices during the 1971 elections. Indira Gandhi took her appeal to the Supreme Court, which upheld the verdict but allowed her to continue as the prime minister.
- The emergency was declared on the 25th of June 1975, by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, imposing Article 352 of the constitution, which grants the President the power to declare a national emergency in case of internal disturbances.
The emergency was imposed every six months for a period of 21 months!
- The emergency was regulated on the advice of the prime minister, Indira Gandhi and the official reason given was ‘internal disturbance.’ The emergency, although it was declared for the abolition of this ‘internal disturbance’ and for economic development, the country faced its darkest period with rising poverty and hunger.
- The emergency lasted almost about 2 years (21 months, up to March 21, 1977) and turned out to be a ‘black spot’ in the Indian democracy, taking into account that civil liberties were suspended, elections were postponed,, and the press was heavily censored.
- The order authorized the prime minister to rule by decree, allowing the elections to be canceled and all civil liberties to be suspended. She gained the authority to make laws without the approval of the parliament.
- Indira Gandhi’s government implemented several controversial policies, including a mass sterilization campaign led by Sanjay Gandhi, which targeted the poor and marginalized communities. Many men, especially from the poorer communities, were taken forcibly to the sterilization camps. This did not only led to anger amongst the public but also the rush and unhygienic conditions of the camps, which led to several deaths and infections.
- Over 1,000 opposition leaders, including Morarji Desai, Jayaprakash Narayan, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, were arrested and detained without trial. Indira Gandhi’s younger son, Sanjay Gandhi played a prominent role in the arrest of these senior opposition leaders
- Several journalists were arrested, and strict censorship was imposed on the media, restricting press freedom. The journalists were instructed to follow government-issued guidelines. The Newspapers were required to get checked/approved before being published and those who denied were arrested. Many journals and publications were threatened and even shut down!
- Many political leaders and activists went underground in order to avoid arrests and to continue their opposition. Secret meetings, communications, distribution of pamphlets, and other methods of raising awareness were adopted. Student organizations and youth protests, rallies, and hunger strikes took place throughout the country.
- The emergency was taken down on 21 March 1977 and general elections were announced. The Congress Party lost the elections and the Janta Party was established. Morarji Desai gained an absolute majority and became the first non-congress prime minister of India.
CONCLUSION
The emergency of 1975 is often regarded as the ‘death of the constitution’ while making India witness some of its most dreadful days. The poverty, the pain, and the horrors of the time still rang in the ears of the Indians. The Government’s grip on the power tightened while the citizens lost their fundamental rights. Terror took the shape of a cloud and gathered over India for a span of 21 months!
The memories of the emergency left an everlasting effect.
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