The Emergency Time and Present Political Scenario
History bares testimony to the fact that great nations face grave crises. In 1933, the United States was struck by the great depression, which exposed the fallacies of the market economy. A few years later the military might of Japan was crushed by the United States during the Second World War. At the start of the last decade of the millennium, the fragilities of Socialism were exposed and it led to the eventual demise of the Soviet Union.
When i talk about India, it’s strength has always been its vibrant democracy. Ours is perhaps the only country where people from contrastingly different castes, creed, religion and race live together in peace and harmony. The other hallmarks of our country are a strong judicial system and a free press. The imposition of the emergency in 1975 struck at the very core of these ideals, which constitute our democracy. It was perhaps the darkest period in the history of independent India.
On 25th June 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an emergency in the country. Fundamental Rights stood suspended, censorship was imposed on the press and prominent political leaders were arrested. In many ways the foundation for the emergency was laid when the Allahabad High Court set aside Indira Gandhi’s re-election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 on the grounds of electoral malpractices. This verdict, which came on 12th June, was later challenged in the Supreme Court, which on 24th June 1975, granted a conditional stay to Mrs. Gandhi, thereby allowing her to remain a member of parliament but disallowed her to take part in parliamentary proceedings. However, this was just the first step.
After the Allahabad High Court verdict, “JP”, as he was better known, gave the call for a “Total Revolution” and also demanded the resignation of Mrs. Gandhi. He announced a plan of daily demonstrations, not merely in Delhi, but also in every State capital and district headquarters until Indira Gandhi threw in the towel. He also appealed to the Army, the police and the bureaucracy “to refuse to obey Indira” and “abide by the Constitution of the country”.
Apart from Indira the secondmost controversial figures in Indian politics, Sanjay Gandhi has often been accused of being the mastermind behind the atrocities committed during the emergency.However, the most controversial agenda was the implementation of a family-planning programme. This programme was a result of Sanjay Gandhi’s so-called “vision” to contain population growth in this country. Officially, this exercise was supposed to be a voluntary one for both men and women. However, there were reports that government officials were forcing young unmarried men, the poor and in some cases even political opponents party activists, sanjay had a dictatorial streak in his personality , as he frequently used to order Cabinet ministers and other government officials, on one occasion he even forced the then I&B Minister I.K Gujral to resign.The fact that till today his name evokes fear among the public shows the notoriety in his personality.
For the press, the emergency was a cruel reminder that the State can snatch its freedom arbitrarily. Hence, soon after the emergency ended, the Press Council of India was formed whose main aim was to safeguard the freedom of the press and to maintain and improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies in the country.
Soon after the withdrawal of the emergency, general elections were declared in the country. The Congress was reduced to just 153 seats in the Lok Sabha and the Janata Party led by Morarji Desai came to power. It was the first time a non-Congress government that assumed leadership of the country. Both Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay lost their seats. Thus began the darkest period in Indira Gandhi’s political career.
But if i talk about the present Political scenario, i think that 19 month long emergency time has been forgotten by most of the people, same in the case of 1984 delhi riots, the burnings, the killings, the lootings,the rapes everything has been forgotten. What we all remember is the Gujrat Riots, and the reason why Congress is pushing it ,is that the Muslims have got a greater vote share in the country as compared to the Sikhs. And to please the Sikh population, Mrs.Sonia Gandhi even made a Sikh, the Prime Minister , ironically there were more experienced leaders in the party that time.
No doubt that the Party has remained in Power because of the stability it has provided but i think what Vajpayee had provided was development, and any day that is better than stability. We never realised that under what threat we are living, if i talk about Delhi, in past 5 years two serial bomb blasts have taken place, it’s been termed as a city of crime, rapes and murders being commited everyday, most of them unheard.The other Congress ruled states are inflicted with Maoist activities.
The Bhartiya Janta Party is only 30 years old, but in these 30 years it has tasted the power, it has tasted that what feels like being in the opposition, with only two seats in the Lok Sabha in 1984, when Congress had 401, it later on became the single largest party(1996), i think that is what is called “Transformation”.
When i talk about India, it’s strength has always been its vibrant democracy. Ours is perhaps the only country where people from contrastingly different castes, creed, religion and race live together in peace and harmony. The other hallmarks of our country are a strong judicial system and a free press. The imposition of the emergency in 1975 struck at the very core of these ideals, which constitute our democracy. It was perhaps the darkest period in the history of independent India.
On 25th June 1975, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed an emergency in the country. Fundamental Rights stood suspended, censorship was imposed on the press and prominent political leaders were arrested. In many ways the foundation for the emergency was laid when the Allahabad High Court set aside Indira Gandhi’s re-election to the Lok Sabha in 1971 on the grounds of electoral malpractices. This verdict, which came on 12th June, was later challenged in the Supreme Court, which on 24th June 1975, granted a conditional stay to Mrs. Gandhi, thereby allowing her to remain a member of parliament but disallowed her to take part in parliamentary proceedings. However, this was just the first step.
After the Allahabad High Court verdict, “JP”, as he was better known, gave the call for a “Total Revolution” and also demanded the resignation of Mrs. Gandhi. He announced a plan of daily demonstrations, not merely in Delhi, but also in every State capital and district headquarters until Indira Gandhi threw in the towel. He also appealed to the Army, the police and the bureaucracy “to refuse to obey Indira” and “abide by the Constitution of the country”.
Apart from Indira the secondmost controversial figures in Indian politics, Sanjay Gandhi has often been accused of being the mastermind behind the atrocities committed during the emergency.However, the most controversial agenda was the implementation of a family-planning programme. This programme was a result of Sanjay Gandhi’s so-called “vision” to contain population growth in this country. Officially, this exercise was supposed to be a voluntary one for both men and women. However, there were reports that government officials were forcing young unmarried men, the poor and in some cases even political opponents party activists, sanjay had a dictatorial streak in his personality , as he frequently used to order Cabinet ministers and other government officials, on one occasion he even forced the then I&B Minister I.K Gujral to resign.The fact that till today his name evokes fear among the public shows the notoriety in his personality.
For the press, the emergency was a cruel reminder that the State can snatch its freedom arbitrarily. Hence, soon after the emergency ended, the Press Council of India was formed whose main aim was to safeguard the freedom of the press and to maintain and improve the standards of newspapers and news agencies in the country.
Soon after the withdrawal of the emergency, general elections were declared in the country. The Congress was reduced to just 153 seats in the Lok Sabha and the Janata Party led by Morarji Desai came to power. It was the first time a non-Congress government that assumed leadership of the country. Both Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay lost their seats. Thus began the darkest period in Indira Gandhi’s political career.
But if i talk about the present Political scenario, i think that 19 month long emergency time has been forgotten by most of the people, same in the case of 1984 delhi riots, the burnings, the killings, the lootings,the rapes everything has been forgotten. What we all remember is the Gujrat Riots, and the reason why Congress is pushing it ,is that the Muslims have got a greater vote share in the country as compared to the Sikhs. And to please the Sikh population, Mrs.Sonia Gandhi even made a Sikh, the Prime Minister , ironically there were more experienced leaders in the party that time.
No doubt that the Party has remained in Power because of the stability it has provided but i think what Vajpayee had provided was development, and any day that is better than stability. We never realised that under what threat we are living, if i talk about Delhi, in past 5 years two serial bomb blasts have taken place, it’s been termed as a city of crime, rapes and murders being commited everyday, most of them unheard.The other Congress ruled states are inflicted with Maoist activities.
The Bhartiya Janta Party is only 30 years old, but in these 30 years it has tasted the power, it has tasted that what feels like being in the opposition, with only two seats in the Lok Sabha in 1984, when Congress had 401, it later on became the single largest party(1996), i think that is what is called “Transformation”.
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