The Emergency and how it changed India forever

The Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975. And while a number of Indians were not even born then, the reverberations from the period continue to be felt even today.

The Emergency — often described as the 'darkest chapter' in independent India's history — was the first and only time that the fundamental rights of India's citizens were set aside.

Declaration of the Emergency was preceded by the Gandhian Jai Prakash Narayan's call to dislodge then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from power. The ensuing protests were so shrill that Indira imposed the Emergency, changing the country forever.

India becomes 'secular' and 'socialist'
The words "socialist" and "secular" were added to the constitution. India was now a "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic".

The words "secular" and "socialist" continue to be debated to this day, with the country's right wing continuing to insist they have done more harm than good to the country.

The opposition comes together
The Emergency brought the entire opposition together, with the first non-Congress government (although prime minister Morarji Desai and deputy prime minister Charan Singh were of Congress stock) coming to power at the centre in 1977 after the Emergency.

The Emergency also ended the Jan Sangh's untouchability, briefly, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani becoming ministers of External Affairs and Information and Broadcasting in the coalition Janata Party government.

Babu Jagjivan Ram also broke ranks with the Congress to join the Janata government.

A Dalit face and the youngest minister in Nehru’s cabinet in the 1950's, Jagjivan Ram's departure was a big blow to the Congress. Jagjivan Ram was the biggest Dalit leader to part ways with the Congress after Ambedkar. His departure was followed by that of Dalit votes from the Congress kitty in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

India's future leaders
The Emergency also proved to be a crucible for India’s future leadership.

Youth leaders from then like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan, and Sharad Yadav continue to stand tall in Indian politics. Vajpayee went on to become prime minister in 1996.

The Emergency also impacted the Congress. Leaders close to Sanjay Gandhi — Indira's elder son and right-hand man during the Emergency years — went on to climb up the Congress ladder. They included Kamal Nath, Ambika Soni, Madhav Rao Scindia, and Sanjay Singh.

The Emergency also allowed the regional parties to take shape, with a number of Janata Party leaders going on to create their own regional dynasties across india in the 1990's.

The biggest effect of the Emergency though was that it broke the myth that only the Congress could rule India.

The Emergency also led to the dissolution of the Jan Sangh and the birth of the BJP in 1980. Today of course it is the BJP which is the country's largest party, with the other parties allying against it.