Emergency in India: When Indira Gandhi's dark move galvanized the Opposition
Indira Gandhi
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed Emergency in India forty-four years ago on June 25, 1975.
The move threw India's democratic polity completely out of gear as several Opposition leaders were arrested and draconian measures undertaken to stifle free speech and press.
The Emergency lasted for 21 months from June 25 to March 21, 1977.
'Darkest period' in post-Independent India
The Emergency was imposed after India's President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed issued orders under Article 352(1) of the Indian constitution plunging the country into what is now known as the "darkest period" in post-Independent India.
Indira Gandhi
Former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was debarred from holding an elected post for six years. This happened after her conviction by the Allahabad High Court in June, 1975. It is widely believed that this was something that led to imposition of emergncy in India.
Morarji Desai became India's first non-Congress Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi, however, appealed to the Supreme Court which upheld the verdict of the High Court and stripped her of her privileges as an MP which was a big blow to India's former PM who was the most powerful politician in the country in the aftermath of the 1971 war against Pakistan.
After the Emergency, during the election held in March, 1977, Congress managed just 153 seats as the Opposition Janata Party won 298 seats and its allies won 47 seats. Both Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi lost the Lok Sabha polls.
Morarji Desai became India's first non-Congress Prime Minister.
Rise of George Fernandes
The Emergency led to the emergence of George Fernandes who became a staunch opponent of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the days of Emergency in the country.
Ram Vilas Paswan, Fernandes' colleague had said that his commitment to democracy and willingness to go to any length to propagate his cause was an inspiration to him and many others during the Emergency.
Restrictions on the press
Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency on "national interest" grounds, however, events kept turning for the worse as months passed with large scale restrictions on the press and illegal imprisonments.
State and national elections were postponed and a 20-point programme was promulgated to ensure industrial production and to fight poverty but it failed to produce any results amid large scale chaos.
Opposition Galvanized
The Emergency galvanized the Opposition in India leading to Congress's defeat in the 1977 elections.
Several Opposition leaders were arrested but it failed to break their unity as the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government stumbled.
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