Emergency (India)
Emergency (India) refers to the 21-month period from 25 June 1975 to 21 March 1977, during which Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of internal emergency across the country under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution.[1] It is widely considered one of the most controversial periods in Indian democratic history.
Background
The declaration came after the Allahabad High Court found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices in the 1971 general elections and invalidated her parliamentary win. Massive protests led by Jayaprakash Narayan and opposition parties, calling for her resignation, pushed Gandhi to declare Emergency citing "internal disturbances".[2]
Provisions and Impact
- Fundamental rights were suspended.
- Press censorship was imposed.
- Political opponents were arrested under preventive detention laws like Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).
- Over 100,000 people were jailed, including major opposition leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L. K. Advani, and Morarji Desai.
- Forced sterilization drives were carried out under the family planning programme, led by Sanjay Gandhi.[3]
Constitutional Changes
- The government passed the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, also known as the "Mini-Constitution".
- It curtailed the power of the judiciary and increased the power of the executive.[4]
End of Emergency
The Emergency was lifted in March 1977, and elections were held. The Janata Party, a coalition of anti-Emergency forces, defeated the Congress. Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.
Legacy
- Seen as a dark chapter in Indian democracy.
- Strengthened civil rights awareness in India.
- Congress Party suffered a major defeat in the 1977 elections.
- Later constitutional amendments made it harder to declare an emergency without Parliamentary approval.
Key Figures
- Indira Gandhi – Prime Minister
- Sanjay Gandhi – Influential advisor and Youth Congress leader
- Jayaprakash Narayan – Leading figure of resistance
- Morarji Desai – Post-Emergency Prime Minister
See Also
- Indira Gandhi
- Janata Party
- Jayaprakash Narayan
- 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India
- Indian democracy