NewsBytes
    Hindi
    More
    In the news
    Shashi Tharoor
    Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
    Arvind Kejriwal
    Mamata Banerjee
    Nitin Gadkari
    Rahul Gandhi
    Indian National Congress (INC)
    NewsBytes
    Hindi
    NewsBytes
    User Placeholder

    Hi,

    Logout


    India Business World Politics Sports Technology Entertainment Auto Lifestyle Inspirational Career Bengaluru Delhi Mumbai Visual Stories Find Cricket Statistics Phones Reviews Fitness Bands Reviews Speakers Reviews

    Download Android App

    Follow us on
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
     
    Home / News / Politics News / 40 year anniversary of 1975 Emergency
    Politics

    40 year anniversary of 1975 Emergency

    40 year anniversary of 1975 Emergency
    Written by Sripriya Yegneswaran
    Jun 24, 2015, 12:00 am 3 min read
    40 year anniversary of 1975 Emergency
    Credits

    25 June 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1975 Emergency. This was the third emergency to be declared after the emergency of 1962 (war with China) and 1971 (war with Pakistan). The emergency lasted a total of 21 months, finally getting suspended on 21 March 1977. Officially, 22 custodial deaths were reported and more than 100,000 people were jailed without trial.

    Prelude to the Emergency

    In 1974, Jayaprakash Narayan began organizing a campaign in Bihar to oust Indira Gandhi and the Congress party from office on corruption charges. On 12 June 1975, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha of the Allahabad High Court found Gandhi guilty on grounds of electoral malpractice. Strikes by trade and labour unions, government and student unions swept across the country demanding the resignation of the Prime Minister.

    Declaration of Emergency

    On 24 June 1975, Justice Iyer granted Indira Gandhi "conditional stay" which led to a call for civil disobedience by JP Narayan on the eve of 25 June. With the aid of the maintenance of Internal Security Act, anyone opposing Gandhi was jailed on the evening of 25 June and hence began the emergency. It was formally declared on 26 June 1975.

    Unprecedented power to the President

    In 1975, an emergency could be invoked whenever the President feels that the security of India is threatened by war, external agression or internal disturbance (there need not be an actual occurrence). The last point was later changed to armed rebellion by the 44th amendment, 1976.

    Residuum of the 1975 Emergency

    As an immediate aftermath of emergency, the Fundamental Rights were curtailed, censorship was forced on the press and political leaders were arrested. The media and judiciary bore the brunt of the emergency. The Representation of the People Act and two other laws were amended in such a manner that the SC was left with no choice but to overturn the Allahabad High Court verdict.

    Sanjay Gandhi: the real face behind the emergency

    Sanjay Gandhi who was seen as the force behind emergency imposed the sterilization plan whereby a million people were forcibly sterilized. Moreover, slums were demolished in the "name of beautification."

    Was it solely Indira Gandhi's fault?

    Prof. P.N. Dhar, Secretary to Indira Gandhi and her chief official advisor during Emergency called it an inevitable outcome of "social, economic and political" crisis resulting in "systematic failure". Khushwant Singh (editor of "The Illustrated Weekly of India" at that time), also thought that Emergency was a necessity as the opposition parties "watched the country sliding into chaos" by public protests against Indira Gandhi.

    Advani seeks an apology from Gandhi family

    According to BJP leader LK Advani, imposition of 1975 emergency was a 'grave mistake', one that the Congress party must apologise for. He further said that it was Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi's "duty and responsibility to apologise for the Emergency..." He reiterated his point by saying that the emergency was "not only against the country but also against the very idea of democracy."

    Share this timeline
    Facebook
    Whatsapp
    Twitter
    Linkedin
    Latest

    Latest

    Kolkata court orders Mohammed Shami to pay alimony to wife Cricket News
    OTT: Watch Jennifer Lopez's 'Shotgun Wedding' on Amazon Prime Video OTT releases
    Australian Open 2023: Stefanos Tsitsipas downs Jiri Lehecka, reaches semi-finals  Australian Open
    Here's how Apple's Reality Pro AR/VR headset will work Apple

    Love Politics News?

    Subscribe to stay updated.

    Politics Thumbnail
    Indian Premier League (IPL) Celebrity Hollywood Bollywood UEFA Champions League Tennis Football Smartphones Cryptocurrency Upcoming Movies Premier League Cricket News Latest automobiles Latest Cars Upcoming Cars Latest Bikes Upcoming Tablets
    About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive Download DevBytes Find Cricket Statistics
    Follow us on
    Facebook Twitter Linkedin
    All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2023