The story of that night of 25-26 June 1975, after which PM Indira Gandhi said on the radio – President has declared emergency

New Delhi : The central government has declared the day on which the Emergency was imposed in the country as Constitution Murder Day. Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave this information by issuing a notification on July 12. Home Minister Amit Shah shared the gazette notification and wrote that this day will remind us of the immense contribution of all those who suffered the inhuman pain of the Emergency of 1975.

In fact, 25 June 1975, in the history of Indian democracy, this day is called the most unfortunate day of the country. 49 years ago on this day, the people of the country heard an announcement on the radio and the news spread in the country that emergency has been declared in the whole of India. Even after 49 years, a dignified picture of the country’s democracy is being spread all over the world, but even today 25 June is recorded in the past as a dark chapter of democracy.

Emergency was imposed in the country for 21 months between 25 June 1975 and 21 March 1977. The then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed had declared emergency in the country under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution on the recommendation of the government led by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The first emergency was imposed in the country with the signature of the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed in the midnight of 25 June and 26 June. The next morning the whole country heard the message in Indira’s voice on the radio, ‘Brothers and sisters, the President has declared emergency. There is no reason to panic because of this.’

Arrest of leaders
With the declaration of emergency, the fundamental rights of all citizens were suspended. Not only the right to expression, people also lost the right to life. From the night of 25 June itself, a wave of arrests of opposition leaders began in the country. Big leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Lal Krishna Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, George Fernandes etc. were put in jail. There was no space left in the jails.

Censorship of the press
After the Emergency, stories of heavy oppression by the administration and the police had come to light. Censorship was also imposed on the press. A censor officer was posted in every newspaper; any news could be published only after his/her permission. Publishing anti-government news could lead to arrest. All this stopped only when elections were announced in the month of March on 23 January 1977.

background
Indira Gandhi, who became the Prime Minister of the country after the death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, had started a conflict with the judiciary for some reasons. This conflict became the background of the Emergency. The Supreme Court’s decision of February 27, 1967 created a big background for the Emergency. In a case, a division bench led by Chief Justice Subbarao of the Supreme Court had said in a decision given by a majority of seven to six judges that the provision of fundamental rights can neither be abolished nor limited through any constitutional amendment even with a two-thirds majority in the Parliament.

Major Reasons
In the 1971 elections, Indira Gandhi led her party to an unprecedented victory and herself won by a huge margin. Questioning Indira Gandhi’s own victory, her election rival Raj Narain moved the court in 1971. Raj Narain, who contested the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat against Indira Gandhi as a candidate of the United Socialist Party, alleged in his/her petition that Indira Gandhi had used unfair means to win the election. The case was heard and Indira Gandhi’s election was cancelled. Enraged by this decision, Indira Gandhi decided to impose emergency.

Declaration of emergency
Indira Gandhi was so angry that the very next day, without holding a formal cabinet meeting, she recommended the imposition of emergency to the President, on which President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed signed in the midnight of 25 June and 26 June and thus the first emergency was imposed in the country.

Maneka was with Sanjay at every step during the emergency
Late R.K. Dhawan, who was Indira Gandhi’s private secretary, had said that Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi had no doubts or regrets about the Emergency. Moreover, Maneka Gandhi knew everything about the Emergency and she was with her husband Sanjay Gandhi at every step. She cannot claim to be innocent or unaware. Late R.K. Dhawan had made this revelation in an interview given to a news channel.

Bengal CM had advised to impose emergency
Dhawan had told that the then West Bengal CM SS Roy had advised Indira Gandhi to impose emergency in January 1975 itself. The plan for emergency was made much earlier. Dhawan had told that the then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed had no objection in signing the proclamation to impose emergency. he/she immediately agreed to it. Dhawan had also told how during the emergency, a meeting of the Chief Ministers was called and they were instructed to prepare a list of those RSS members and opposition leaders who were to be arrested. Similar preparations were made in Delhi as well.

Indira was ready to resign
Dhawan had said that the Emergency was not imposed to save Indira’s political career, rather she herself was ready to resign. When Indira heard the Allahabad High Court’s order cancelling her election in June 1975, her first reaction was to resign and she got her resignation letter typed. She said that the resignation letter was typed but it was never signed. This happened because her cabinet colleagues came to meet her and everyone insisted that she should not resign.