Fifty years of the Emergency – remembering the darkest chapter

Time of India

23-06-2025

Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE
25th June, 1975…. A black day in the history of independent India. India became independent from the clutches of British rule in 1947. Three years later, the republic of India was formed on the basis of the Constitution. The darkest chapter called Emergency began in the same year when the republic of India was celebrating its Silver Jubilee. This chapter stifled the freedom of expression of Indian citizens, but more than that, it also became a witness to horrific abuse of power by the government. The Emergency was imposed on the country within just 13 days after the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha from Raebareli constituency in 1971 was declared void by the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Jagmohanlal Sinha.
All the fundamental rights granted by the Constitution to common citizens and newspapers were curtailed. The excessive suppression by the government machinery was so horrific that even the British would be ashamed. There was no social media or internet in those days. The two state-owned media platforms, Akashvani and Doordarshan, were the only source of information. Doordarshan had just started, so its reach was limited.
Not even a single line of news regarding opposition meetings, demonstrations or speeches held against the Emergency was reported by these state owned platforms. The Indira Gandhi government ensured that no news against the government reached the public by censoring newspapers. Even the British, who had a pride that the Sun never sets on the British Empire, had to leave India. Destiny made even Indira Gandhi pay the price for imposing the Emergency. But by then Indian people had suffered a lot because of one individual's lust for power. That period made Indians understand how great the value of freedom of writing and freedom of speech is.
The electricity to all newspaper offices in Delhi, the capital of the country, was cut off before the President signed the ordinance of Emergency. All important leaders of opposition including the leaders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh, Socialist party were arrested immediately. Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, two key players of the Emergency, knew exactly what they wanted to do during the Emergency. Mrs Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency fearing that the court verdict would force her to give away her Prime Ministerial post. The entire nation witnessed the cruel dictator in Indira Gandhi in the form of horrific abuse of power during that period. The dictatorship was so terrible that newspapers had to show every single line to the government officials. Newspapers could not be sent for printing without approval of government officials.
Government officials would only allow newspapers to be printed after ensuring that not a single word has been written against Mrs Indira Gandhi or Emergency. The censorship was imposed on the freedom of press to prevent information about the cruel acts committed during the emergency from reaching the common people. Even artists, actors were hit by this dictatorship. Songs of Kishore Kumar, who refused to sing a song praising the Emergency, were banned from broadcasting on Akashvani and Doordarshan. Notices were sent to Kishore Kumar through the Income Tax Department. But Kishore Kumar still did not succumb. Dev Anand was also harassed in many ways because of his refusal to issue a statement in support of the Emergency.
Barbaric acts were committed in the form of forced sterilization while carrying out a family planning campaign aimed at controlling the country's population. Government officials were given the target of family planning surgeries. Many unmarried men were also forcibly sterilized to achieve this target. Journalists and intellectuals also remained silent against the torture during the Emergency. Opposition party workers were being imprisoned without enquiry. Even many senior leaders of Congress like Yashwantaro Chavan, Babu Jagjivan Ram, Brahmananda Reddy did not dare to utter a single word against Indira Gandhi.
The proposal to impose a state of emergency was sent to the President for signature without seeking an approval of the Union Cabinet. But Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Jana Sangh ran a nationwide campaign without paying any heed to Indira Gandhi's suppression. Thousands of swayamsevaks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh staged protests against the Emergency across the country without fearing imprisonment. Thousands of people lost their jobs, their lives were shattered due to this. More than 10 lakh people were arrested across the country. Family members of senior socialist leader George Fernandes were severely harassed as the police failed to trace him. Police force was used extensively to suppress voices against the Emergency. Even elderly leader like Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, who led the fight against Mrs Indira Gandhi, was not spared from imprisonment.
Indian people experienced the Emergency for 21 months, i.e. from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977. Karnataka actress Snehalatha Reddy died due to torture during the Emergency. A law like 'MISA' was passed to arrest opposition party workers and leaders. Renowned director and writer Gulzar's film Aandhi was banned because the heroine's costume resembled that of Indira Gandhi.
All the brutality was avenged by the voters in the 1977 Lok Sabha elections. By defeating Congress along with Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, voters brought about a bloodless revolution. The new generation must know this dark history and therefore the events of that period should be reminded. Rahul Gandhi, grandson of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, keeps on whining in the name of the constitution. But while citing the Constitution, he does not remember the torture of the common man during the Emergency by his own grandmother. The public memory is very short and therefore even the common man has to be reminded again and again of what happened during the Emergency. But Indian democracy emerged victorious after whatever Indian people had endured during that period. There is no doubt that the fight waged by the Indian people to defend the Constitution will be recorded in golden letters in Indian history.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.