46th Anniversary of "Darkest Day" of Indian Democracy
In India, National Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975.
June 25, 2021 is observed as the 46th anniversary of the Emergency in India. It is a historically relevant phase in India's years. The National Emergency phase of India is also known as the Darkest Day on Indian Democracy.
On this day in 1975 Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the then president of India, announced a state of emergency across the country on the recommendation of the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government at the Centre. The Emergency remained in effect from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977. Till today, it is one of the highly-debated chapters in academic and political circles when talking about modern Indian history.
Why was the National Emergency imposed?
In 1971, Indira Gandhi had won the Lok Sabha election from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh convincingly defeating socialist leader Raj Narain. Raj Narain alleged her for electoral malpractices and violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Justice Sinha disqualified her from Parliament and imposed a six-year ban on her holding any elected post.
It was the next day that Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency suspending all fundamental rights, putting opposition leaders in jails, and imposing censorship on the media.
Thoughts shared by Leaders
“The dark days of Emergency can never be forgotten. The period from 1975 to 1977 witnessed the systematic destruction of institutions. Let us pledge to do everything possible to strengthen India’s democratic spirit & live up to the values enshrined in our Constitution,” tweets PM Modi.
Taking to Twitter, Shah said: "Emergency imposed to quell the voices against one family is a dark chapter in the history of independent India. Salute to the sacrifice of all the countrymen who fought relentlessly for the protection of the Constitution and democracy of the country while suffering the brutal tortures of the ruthless rule for 21 months."
Shah further said that on this day in 1975, in the selfishness and arrogance of power Congress killed the world's largest democracy by imposing an Emergency on the country. "On this day in 1975, Congress killed the world's largest democracy by imposing emergency on the country in the selfishness and arrogance of power. Innumerable Satyagrahis were imprisoned overnight and the press was locked. Taking away the fundamental rights of the citizens, made the Parliament and the court a mute spectator," he added.
