Those darkest hours of Indian democracy

When I turn pages of Newspapers in the morning and read how Indian government is overlooking common man’s demand on Jan Lokpal Bill, those days of Emergency catch my attention. Although it happened before my physical existence, yet my mother’s memories with emergency keep those 21-months of Political unrest alive. 

The dark clouds were ready to surround Indian democracy when opponents made allegations that Congress leader, Indira Gandhi had practiced electoral fraud to win the 1971 elections. On 12 June 1975, the Allahabad High Court also found the Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi guilty of charges, but she was cleared on more serious charges. Due to drought and 1973 oil crisis, economy was in bad shape. Bihar was standing up for a change in government through  strikes in labor, trade, student and government unions. The socialist J. P. Narayan and his supporters sought to transform Indian society. Protests led by Raj Narain and Morarji Desai flooded the streets of Delhi.

Fearing imminent danger to Congress's image, a letter for the president was drafted. India was preparing itself for a massive social and political changes when President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, upon advice by Indira Gandhi on 26 June 1975, declared a state of emergency under Article 352 (Constitution of India), suspending elections and civil liberties. 

With official declaration, Ms. Gandhi brought democracy to a grinding halt. Elections for the state and Parliament governments were postponed. Invoking article 352 (Indian Constitution), she had extraordinary powers to smash the civil liberties and political opposition. The Government misused police forces across country to arrest thousands of protesters and strike leaders. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, along with some opposition political parties got barred.

News headlines proclaiming State of Emergency - Over 140,000 people had been arrested 

without trial during Emergency

In my mother’s words, Indian Emergency was a preplanned series of  rewriting the nation's laws. Indira Gandhi used the president to issue, "extraordinary laws", allowing her to rule by decree. Anti party ruling states like Gujrat and Tamil Nadu were hit hard with declaration of president's Rule, jailing thousands of opponents. The 42nd Amendment brought extensive changes to the spirit of Indian constitution. In face of massive political disorder, Indira had her younger son Sanjay Gandhi, a close political advisor who was concerned with issues of overpopulation. He initiated a birth control program, chiefly employing sterilization. Quotas were set up that eventually ended up with coercion of unwilling Indians. 

Large-scale illegal performance of laws shifted the country towards socialism. With destruction of the slum and low-income housing in Jama Masjid area, the entire country was in a state of shock. According to Amnesty International, 140,000 people had been arrested without trial during darkest hours of Emergency. Out of those, 40,000 had come from India's two percent Sikh minority. 

Any blackout doesn’t stand for so long. Networks were established between different political parties’ leaders in the jail for the coordination of the movement. Indira Gandhi called fresh elections, releasing all political prisoners and Emergency officially ended on March 23rd, 1977. A coalition of parties calling itself the Janata Party (People's Party), asked Indians to choose between “democracy and dictatorship.” The elections turned against Gandhi and with huge victory of Janata Party, Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India. 

Emergency rule lasted 21 months, but its legacy remains intensely controversial. Writer Rahi Masoom Raza and English novelist Sanjeev Tare shared in their literature what they went through during that politically turbulent time. Brutus, You!, a book by Chanakya Sen portrayed internal politics of Jawaharlal Nehru university, Delhi during Emergency. The 1985 Malayalam film Yathra showcased the human right violations during Emergency by the police. 

Even though it was endorsed by Vinoba Bhave, Mother Teresa, J. R. D. Tata and writer Khushwant Singh, but for entire nation Emergency was merely a nightmare, which left a long lasting scar on the face of Indian political system.