In a post on X on the 51st anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency, Mr. Modi paid homage to all those who steadfastly defended democratic values during “one of the darkest chapters in India’s history”.
Noting that the period witnessed an assault on institutions that are the bedrock of Indian democracy, the Prime Minister said: “At the same time, it also revealed the extraordinary courage of countless citizens who refused to remain silent and upheld the ideals enshrined in our Constitution.”
“For all of us, our Constitution is an embodiment of the aspirations, rights and duties of 140 crore Indians. We reaffirm our collective commitment to safeguarding constitutional values. Guided by the spirit of our Constitution, we will build an India that remains ever committed to justice, liberty, equality and fraternity,” said Mr. Modi.
ARCHITECTS OF THE EMERGENCY: Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, when she called on him on August 21, 1974. Mrs. Ahmed is at left. On her cabinet’s advice, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed Emergency under Article 352 citing “internal disturbances”. Photo: The Hindu Archives
THE MARCH THAT SHOOK MRS. GANDHI: Socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan is seen seated outside the locked gate of the Patna Secretariat while leading the anti-corruption movement in Bihar in October 1974. As JP began touring more states, he also united several anti-Congress parties and the protests against Indira Gandhi government grew, which was seen as a prime reason for her recommending the Emergency. Photo: The Hindu Archives
JP’s MOVEMENT: JP leading a ‘march to Parliament’ in Delhi in March 1975. His movement brought an end to the Congress rule at the Centre for the first time in 1977. Different political parties came together under the banner of his Janata Party to provide the country its first non-Congress government. Photo: The Hindu Archives
GUJARAT REVOLT: Morarji Desai (centre) sat on an indefinite fast to press for early election in Gujarat. Elections were held in June and for the first time and the only time, Gujarat threw a hung Assembly verdict. Two weeks later, Emergency was imposed.
RAILWAYS STRIKE: This image, which later became a symbol of the state of Emergency, was taken when trade union leader George Fernandes was arrested during the all India railway strike in May 1974. Fernandes led the agitation demanding pay revision and eight-hour work shifts for railway workers. Despite his arrest, about 70% of railway workers stayed off from work, bringing the country’s largest PSU to a standstill.
A LEGAL BATTLE LOST: Indira Gandhi lost the legal battle in the Allahabad High Court in a petition filed by Raj Narain (in picture), challenging her election in 1971 from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh. The conviction meant she ceases to be an MP.
EMERGENCY IMPOSED: The first page of The Hindu dated June 26, 1975, reports President proclaiming Emergency, on its front page.
WHEN A CM PROTESTED: Karunanidhi, then the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, distributes handmade pamphlets to public near Anna Statue in Mount Road to protest press censorship during Emergency. On July 12, 1975, he addressed a mass meeting on the Marina Beach in Madras, declaring there was neither an internal nor external threat to India and called upon the vast concourse to take a pledge to defend their freedoms. His government was subsequently dismissed. This image was taken from a photo display at Kalaignar Karuvoolam. Photo: M. Vedhan
THE STORY OF THE UNSEEN: When JP was addressing a meeting in Vijayawada against the Emergency in 1975, three three youngsters - Yalamanchali Sivaji, Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad and Kambhampati Hari Babu - can be seen. All of them became MPs subsequently. Sitting in the audience, but missed in the click is a young man who was among several people arrested for opposing the Emergency. It was M. Venkaiah Naidu, who went on to be the Vice-president of India. This picture was shared with The Hindu by Dr. Sivaji. Photo: Special Arrangement
DMK FACES THE WRATH: Young DMK leaders M.K. Stalin, Arcot Veerasamy, Murasoli Maran were among those detained in MISA. C. Chittibab, former Mayor of Madras, died in custody while trying to protect Stalin. Photo shows the cell at the erstwhile Madras Central Prison where Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act during the Emergency.
THE GOVERNMENT NARRATIVE: In this image shared by the Press Information Bureau, some of the members of the Indian community in London, called on Indira Gandhi, in New Delhi on September 15, 1975. They had participated in the massive demonstration in support of Emergency measures and against the distortions by the British press and BBC. Photo: Special Arrangement
THE JANATA GOVERNMENT: Morarji Desai (left) talking to L.K. Advani (right) while Jayaprakash Narayan watching them, in New Delhi on January 22, 1977. This photograph wouldn’t have been possible prior the Emergency given their political views. But the anti-Congress leaders joined hands to form the Janata government, handing out Congress its first defeat at the Centre. Moraji Desai became the Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, the I&B Minister, while JP chose to stay away from electoral politics. Photo: The Hindu Archives
ENDING EMERGENCY: Indira Gandhi called for fresh elections in March 1977 and released all political prisoners. The picture shows Ms. Gandhi meeting leaders of the Opposition parties in New Delhi on January 28, 1977.
NEW LEADERS RISE: The Emergency gave birth to a new wave of politicians, Chandra Shekhar being a prominent face. He and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who were ministers in the Janata Government, eventually became prime ministers.
DRACONIAN LAW: George Fernandes and Mulayam Singh Yadav are seen taking part in at a function of remembrance of political detenues of Emergency, in Lucknow, on June 26, 2006. Both the leaders were arrested during the period when the infamous Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) was in force. The Act allowed detention of people without warrants for an indefinite period.
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‘Attack on democracy’
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Nabin said the Congress, which had launched “the greatest attack on democracy”, was now ironically attempting to represent itself as the “foremost self-appointed defenders” of the Constitution.
“When the people reject them in elections, they lose faith in the Election Commission. Questions are raised about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). When court judgments do not align with their political interests, the impartiality of the judiciary is questioned,” Mr. Nabin said. “If Parliament does not function, the government is blamed. If elections are lost, the system is blamed. If the public does not offer support, institutions are blamed,” he said, asking why the Congress had “never offered an unconditional apology” to the country for the Emergency.
On June 12, 1975, the Allahabad High Court had declared the election of then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, invalid, after which the entire country was “held hostage” to save the chair of a single individual, the BJP chief said, explaining the Modi government’s decision to observe the date as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’.
‘United against authoritarianism’
“A large number of leaders and activists who raised their voices in defense of democracy were arrested. Thousands of democracy fighters, including Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Lal Krishna Advani, were imprisoned... Attempts were made to curtail the powers of the judiciary,” Mr. Nabin said.
“However, India’s democratic spirit could not be suppressed. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, young people and ordinary citizens united against this authoritarianism... During that same era of struggle, Narendra Modi Ji evaded arrest by disguising himself and carried the message of the movement from door to door. Keeping national interest and the protection of democracy as the highest priority, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh merged itself into the Janata Party,” he said.
Thousands of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers went underground to safeguard democracy, Mr. Nabin said, while the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad mobilised students.
Today, we pay homage to all those who steadfastly defended democratic values during one of the darkest chapters in India's history, the Emergency.
The Emergency was a direct assault on our Constitution. It witnessed the suspension of civil liberties, curbs on freedom of…
At a press conference, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said that during the Emergency, the term of Parliament had been extended from five years to six years. “While Opposition leaders were in jail, the 42nd Constitutional Amendment was passed. It was during this period, when the Opposition was imprisoned, that the words ‘Socialist’ and ‘Secular’ were added [to the Preamble of the Constitution],” he said.
Mr. Prasad said the Representation of the People Act was amended with retrospective effect so that no legal challenge could be made against the Prime Minister’s election. “The Supreme Court could do nothing because the law had already been amended,” he added.
