Fifty years on, we should recall how Indian democracy was tested by the Emergency

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,' warned philosopher George Santayana in his 1905 work, The Life of Reason. Public memory is woefully short; that is why it is rekindled through anniversaries and other periodic events. One historic occasion that we must never forget is the Emergency, imposed by the regime led by Indira Gandhi in 1975. June 25 this year marks 50 years of the event that shook the foundations of our democracy. India is the world's largest democracy. It can also claim to be a successful democracy, except for those 22 months when its democratic credentials were subjected to scrutiny. Two generations have passed since that dark phase. India has learnt enough lessons. Yet, to ensure that Santayana's warnings don't come true, we must keep reminding new generations about that sordid past.
Indians waged battles for decades to secure freedom from the British in 1947. B R Ambedkar, while drafting the Constitution, warned the Constituent Assembly that more than foreigners, we were responsible for the loss of independence. 'It perturbs me deeply to acknowledge that India has lost its independence multiple times… due to betrayal and treachery by its own people,' he said on November 25, 1949, poignantly asking, 'Will history repeat itself?? He was categorical that if political parties fail to raise above partisan interests, 'Indian independence will once again be in jeopardy'. His message to his countrymen was that they must resolve to fight 'to the last drop of our blood' to protect our independence.
It did not take even two decades for the country to come face to face with that dangerous reality. It may be worthwhile to recall those tragic events. The Indian National Congress was split in 1969 and one faction under Morarji Desai became Congress (O-Organisation) while the other under the leadership of Indira Gandhi called itself Congress (R-Requisitionists). When elections were held to the Lok Sabha in 1971, the PM Gandhi-led Congress (R) secured a resounding victory with 352 out of 518 seats. A few months into that government came the victory in the Bangladesh War that catapulted PM Gandhi into a cult figure.
The next few years saw PM Gandhi transforming from a democrat into an authoritarian and arrogant leader. With no Opposition in Parliament, PM Gandhi went about governing in a ruthless and dictatorial manner. Corruption and sycophancy became the hallmark of her governance. Then came two successive challenges to the regime, first in the form of popular agitations in Gujarat and Bihar in 1974 against corrupt Congress regimes, and an Allahabad High Court judgement in June 1975 setting aside PM Gandhi's election in 1971 on the grounds of electoral malpractices. She was disqualified not only from ruling but also from contesting elections for the next six years.
With no relief from the Supreme Court and with Opposition parties, united under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, leading a massive popular movement against her rule, PM Gandhi was left with two options: Follow democratic dharma and step down, or use the emergency provisions available under Article 352 of the Constitution to impose a dictatorship and continue to rule. She chose the latter. She cited a 'threat to internal security' as the reason. How was a challenge to her regime a national security challenge? The answer can be gleaned from the Congress party's mindset — its president, D K Barooah, had said 'Indira is India'.
At midnight on June 25/26, 1975, PM Gandhi had emergency orders proclaimed by then-President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed. Her government suspended fundamental rights, arrested all the Opposition leaders and gagged the media. The courts were declared ineligible to hear petitions from citizens demanding the restoration of their rights. The saddest day was when the SC upheld the draconian law denying citizens the right to move a habeas corpus petition in its shameful verdict in ADM Jabalpur vs Shivkant Shukla (1976).
Like all dictators, PM Gandhi, too, believed that she was invincible.
'To be human is to be free', Desmond Tutu, key to South Africa's freedom movement, once said. The people of the country reminded PM Gandhi of that profound urge when they went to the polls in 1977. While senior politicians languished in jail, a silent, leaderless movement, led by cadres of the RSS and other organisations, spread across the country to restore democracy. Not only was Congress defeated at the hustings, PM Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi couldn't even win in their seats.
The Emergency years saw dictatorship in its worst form. A year later, the J C Shah Commission, appointed by the Janata party government in 1977, submitted its report highlighting the excesses of the Emergency including abuse of power, violation of civil liberties, forced sterilisation, the compulsory retirement of 25,000 government employees over their alleged political affiliations and the arrests of more than 1,10,000 people.
Many of those who fought that second freedom struggle against the Emergency five decades ago are in power today. They are committed to protecting the 'freedom, equality and fraternity' that summarised the spirit of our independence. Yet countrymen should always be alert to the warnings given by American jurist Joseph Story: 'Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people in order to betray them.'
The writer, president, India Foundation, is with the BJP. Views are personal

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

Wife's WhatsApp chats obtained via 'spy app' used as valid evidence about her extramarital affair in Divorce case, what Madhya Pradesh HC said

In a crucial ruling, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has reportedly permitted a husband to present his wife's private WhatsApp chats as evidence in a divorce case, even though they were obtained without her consent. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The court's decision, based on Section 14 of the Family Courts Act , 1984, allows Family Courts to consider evidence that may not be admissible under the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, to resolve disputes like divorce. The case arose when the husband, using a special app (spy app) installed on his wife's phone without her knowledge, accessed her private WhatsApp conversations. These chats allegedly revealed an extramarital affair, prompting the husband to seek divorce on grounds of cruelty and adultery. The wife's legal team objected, arguing that presenting the chats violated her under Article 21 of the Constitution and Sections 43, 66, and 72 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. They further contended that evidence obtained illegally should be inadmissible. Rejecting these arguments, the High Court emphasized that while the right to privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21, it is not absolute and is subject to limitations. Citing Supreme Court judgments, including the Sharda and Puttaswami cases, the court noted that statutory provisions like Section 14 of the Family Courts Act and Section 122 of the Indian Evidence Act permit limited invasions of privacy in the interest of justice. The court framed the issue as a conflict between two fundamental rights under Article 21: the wife's right to privacy and the husband's right to a fair trial. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It ruled that the right to privacy must yield to the right to a fair trial, which has broader implications for public justice. 'A litigating party has a right to bring relevant evidence before the court,' the court stated, adding that denying this opportunity would undermine the Family Courts Act's intent. The High Court clarified that it was not ruling on the authenticity of the WhatsApp chats, leaving that determination to the Family Court. If the chats are deemed genuine, they could support the husband's case for divorce on grounds of cruelty and adultery. This ruling has sparked debate over the balance between privacy rights and the pursuit of justice in family disputes, with potential implications for how digital evidence is handled in Indian courts.

Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

India will start operating evacuation flights from tomorrow, Infra News, ET Infra

Advt As for Indian nationals wishing to leave Israel, official sources said India will start operating evacuation flights for them from Amman on Sunday. They will be taken to Jordan by road on Sunday as border points are shut on Saturdays. Deputy chief of mission Mohammad Javad Hosseini said more evacuation flights could be operated in the coming days to bring back Indians, if required. The official also urged India to condemn Israel's actions saying this was a case of aggression against a country and must be condemned in line with international law."We consider Indians as our own people. Iran's airspace is closed but because of this issue, we are making arrangements to open it for the safe passage of Indian nationals," Hosseini said at a media briefing. "Around 1,000 Indians who were relocated from Tehran to Qom and then to Mashhad will be evacuated to New Delhi on three charter flights." Hosseini said Tehran is in close contact with the ministry of external affairs (MEA) and the Indian embassy in Tehran to ensure safe evacuation of Indian nationals. "We are arranging for the safe passage of Indians who want to leave via air or via road through third countries, or directly from Iran," he said. The Iranian diplomat said Indians in Iran are safe, but added that a few Indian students sustained injuries after an Israeli air strike hit a dormitory in Tehran.

First Post

an hour ago

• First Post

History Today: How the US constitution was ratified and came to life

On June 21, 1788, the US constitution was ratified and became the law after New Hampshire became the ninth of the 13 states to approve it. Also on this same day in 1990, a powerful earthquake ripped through Iran, killing more than 50,000 people read more The U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1788, with the process concluding on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it. Representational image/Pixabay Today, many in America claim that Donald Trump is eroding the values enshrined in America's constitution. But did you know that the constitution in the United States came into law on June 21, 1788? Also, on this day in 1990, one of the world's most devastating earthquakes struck Iran, killing an estimated 50,000 people and injuring another 100,000 people. If you are a history fan, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today , will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US Constitution becomes law Until June 21, 1788 when the constitution was ratified, America was governed by the Articles of Confederation. However, this changed when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. Rewind to six months back and in December, five states — Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut — ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. John Trumbull's painting, Declaration of Independence, depicting the five-man drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence presenting their work to the Congress. File image/Wikimedia Commons It was in February 1788 that a compromise was struck and Massachusetts and other states agreed to ratify the document based on the promise that amendments would be immediately proposed. Finally, on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the US Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July. Today, the US Constitution is recognised as the oldest written constitution in the world. It consists of seven articles and has been amended 27 times until now. Notably, the US constitution's first three words are 'We The People', which affirms that the government of the United States exists to serve its citizens. Earthquake devastates Iran One of the world's deadliest earthquakes took place on June 21, 1990 causing unprecedented destruction in Iran. On this day, a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck near the Caspian Sea, killing an estimated 50,000 and injuring another 100,000 people. The powerful temblor hit Iran post midnight, shaking people up from their slumber and shattering the night tranquillity. Following the quake, the cities of Rudbar and Manjil lay in absolute ruin with the National Geophysical Data Center estimating that the devastation amounted to a whopping $8 billion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A man stands among the the ruins of a building destroyed by the June 21 massive earthquake that killed over 50,000 people in northwest Iran. File image/AFP What made matters worse was that a 6.5-magnitude aftershock the following morning caused a burst dam in Rasht, wiping out a large stretch of farmland. Landslides made many roads impassable and many of the people who initially survived under the rubble could not be rescued before their air supply ran out. An estimated 400,000 people were left homeless by the earthquake. Following the devastation, worldwide relief efforts began with Iran grudgingly accepting assistance from the United States, though it refused help from Israel and South Africa. Greenland assumes self-rule June 21, 2009 also marks the day when Greenland gained self-rule. This came after the people of Greenland held a referendum in November 2008 and subsequently approved the Self-Government Act. Through this, Greenland assumed responsibility for self-government of its judicial affairs, policing matters, and natural resources. Moreover, Greenlanders were recognised as a separate people under international law. However, foreign policy, defence policy, and security policy remains in the hands of Denmark. This Day, That Year >> Battle of Okinawa concludes with the defeat of Japanese forces on June 21, 1945. >> On this day, in 1893, the first Ferris wheel, invented by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr, made its debut, at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.