On this day in 1975, the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared an 'emergency' in the country, which lasted for 21 months. Today, the country marks the completion of 49 years since the emergency was declared, also referred to as the 'darkest day in Indian democracy'.
Shortly after the Supreme Court granted a conditional stay on the Allahabad High Court's verdict nullifying Indira's election to the Lok Sabha, the decision of emergency was announced via All India Radio.
The emergency officially ended on March 23, 1977, with Indira Gandhi calling for general elections.
In 1971, Raj Narain accused Indira Gandhi of electoral fraud, following a complaint against her. Allahabad court's verdict came on June 12, 1975, which found Indira accused of the allegations, i.e. discrepancies in the electoral campaigning.
From 1973 to 1975, there was political unrest in the nation. People were protesting against the Indira Gandhi administration.
Key points of the 1975 Emergency:
- President Fakhruddin Ali declared an emergency on June 25, following Indira Gandhi's advice. Indira addressed the nation the next day, i.e. June 26.
- Basic freedom/Individual rights were suspended.
- During the period, mass arrests of well-known political leaders were seen, which also included L K Advani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Morarji Desai.
- Indira justified the emergency as 'necessary' to bring political stability to the nation and for economic development.
- Sanjay Gandhi, Indira's son initiated forced 'mass sterilisation' in 1976, during which vasectomy of 6 to 8 million people was done.
- Censorship on the media was imposed.
- Large-scale protests were carried out throughout the nation.
Indira's statement announcing the emergency:
"The President has proclaimed the Emergency. This is nothing to panic about. I am sure you are all aware of the deep and widespread conspiracy, which has been brewing ever since I began to introduce certain progressive measures of benefit for the common man and woman in India".
Post Emergency:
* The Congress party lost power, and the Janata Party, headed by Morarji Desai, won decisively with 298 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.
* Creating history, Desai became the first Prime Minister from a party other than Congress.
* Indira Gandhi was defeated in the Rae Bareli constituency, losing to Raj Narain by more than 55,000 votes.
Allegations on Indira Gandhi's govt:
Serious allegations were levelled against the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency, including the arbitrary detention of individuals, torture of detainees and political prisoners, and unconstitutional enactment of laws.
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