50 Years Of Emergency

The Emergency period from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977, is considered a black chapter in the Indian democratic history.

Hyderabad: The Union Government commemorates Samvidhan Hatya Diwas today, marking 50 years of Emergency in India. The 1975 Emergency was a 21-month-long authoritarian rule imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, citing internal and external threats. During this dark period, fundamental rights were suspended, civil liberties curtailed, and critics were arrested. This period is considered a black chapter in Indian history, with lasting implications for the country’s democratic institutions.

June 25, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the declaration of the Emergency in India – on this day in 1975, former PM Indira Gandhi invoked Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, proclaiming a state of emergency that lasted for 21 months until its revocation on March 21, 1977. The period is often remembered as a time of human rights violations and a stifling of democratic processes. On this ‘Black Day’, it is crucial to reflect on the implications of the Emergency, analyze its impact on India’s democratic fabric, and critically evaluate the implementation and consequences of this drastic measure.

What led to the declaration: On June 25, 1975, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, acting on the advice of Indira Gandhi, officially proclaimed a state of emergency under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, citing “internal disturbances” as the reason. This gave the Prime Minister the authority to rule by decree, suspend elections, and curtail civil liberties. The decision was based on information received by Indira Gandhi about imminent threats to the country’s internal security. She sent a top-secret letter to the President requesting the emergency proclamation, bypassing the usual cabinet consultation due to urgency.

The emergency proclamation led to immediate and severe censorship of the press, with electricity cut off to the Delhi area where most media houses were located, preventing newspapers from publishing. The public first learned of the emergency through All India Radio the following morning. The government arrested thousands of political opponents, including prominent leaders such as Jayaprakash Narayan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, and Mulayam Singh Yadav. Laws were amended to limit judicial review and expand legislative powers, effectively insulating the emergency from legal challenges.

Indira Gandhi’s son, Sanjay Gandhi, played a controversial role during this period, spearheading campaigns such as forced sterilization, which became one of the most criticized aspects of the Emergency.

Behind the scenes, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other opposition groups faced bans and arrests, though some leaders sought accommodation with the government. The Emergency’s imposition was kept secret until the official announcement, with the government taking swift action to suppress dissent and control the narrative.

Curtailed freedom of the press: During the Emergency period, freedom of the press was severely curtailed through a systematic and multifaceted approach by Indira Gandhi’s government:

Immediate censorship and blackout: On June 26, 1975, the day after the Emergency was declared, the government cut off electricity to the Delhi area where most major newspapers were headquartered, halting newspaper production temporarily to set up censorship machinery. Once censorship was in place, power was restored, but the press was under strict government control over content: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting classified newspapers as “friendly,” “neutral,” or “hostile” to the government and manipulated government advertisements accordingly—reducing or withdrawing ads from hostile and neutral newspapers to financially squeeze them while boosting friendly ones. This economic pressure was a tool to coerce compliance.

Legal restrictions: The government enacted draconian laws such as the Prevention of Publication of Objectionable Matters Act, 1976, which gave authorities sweeping powers to ban publications for any reason related to Article 19(2) of the Constitution, effectively prohibiting any media coverage critical of the government or protests. Printing presses could be seized or shut down, and security deposits for publications could be confiscated for publishing “objectionable matter,” a term broadly and arbitrarily defined to suppress dissent.

Suppression of dissent: The government tightly controlled what news could be published or broadcast, forbidding any reporting on opposition activities or criticism of government policies. The press was expected to convey only the government’s viewpoint, and dissenting voices were silenced. Many newspapers reluctantly fell in line, while a few protested by running blank editorials or subtle acts of defiance.

Arrests and intimidation: Over 250 journalists were jailed during the Emergency, including prominent figures like Kuldip Nayar. Accreditation was withdrawn from many foreign correspondents, and some were expelled from India. Income tax raids on media owners and phone calls to journalists with “helpful suggestions” about news coverage were common tactics to intimidate the press.

Control of narrative: The government tightly controlled what news could be published or broadcast, forbidding any reporting on opposition activities or criticism of government policies. The press was expected to convey only the government’s viewpoint, and dissenting voices were silenced. Many newspapers reluctantly fell in line, while a few protested by running blank editorials or subtle acts of defiance.

Ordinance Raj: The Indira Gandhi government promulgated 48 ordinances during the Emergency period, including five to amend the Maintenance of Internal Security Act, often dubbed as “draconian”, that gave the administration powers to detain any individual without a warrant.

Censorship extended to other media: Films critical of the Emergency or government policies were banned, and some were destroyed, such as “Kissa Kursi Ka,” which parodied Sanjay Gandhi, a key figure in the Emergency’s excesses. The Emergency transformed the Indian press from an independent watchdog into a controlled mouthpiece of the government, with censorship, legal restrictions, financial pressure, arrests, and intimidation systematically employed to eliminate criticism and control public discourse.

Each institution that was already under the Congress government’s authority was turned into a mechanism of oppression to enhance its punitive control over various sections of society. The citizens became easy prey for the government to carry out its inhumane agenda, while anyone who dared to voice dissent was met with brutality, including the young students who were assaulted, imprisoned and even killed on unfounded accusations.

The government similarly enforced harsh censorship on the media, seeking to control and manipulate it to stifle public opinion. The press was perceived as the only independent mass media in India at that time, as the government controlled both radio and television. Notably, just as individuals who collaborated with the tyrannical regime of Indira were rewarded, so too did the elements in media who profited from the misery and anguish of the whole nation.

Print media and the Emergency: Freedom entails the obligation to protect it at all costs. Unfortunately, the majority of India’s domestic dailies abandoned the fight for press freedom following the first protest during the Emergency. There was some pushback from a portion of the print media over the first two days. Blank editorials sprouted to protest the atrocious decision, however, they quickly disappeared due to official threats. The severe restriction of press and personal liberties that followed was largely met with acquiescence.

This regression was famously summarized by Bharatiya Janata Party veteran and former deputy prime minister of India, Lal Krishna (LK) Advani, who remarked, “When Indira Gandhi commanded the media to bend, it crawled.” Furthermore, “Fawning accounts of national events, flattering pictures of Mrs Gandhi and her ambitious son, and not coincidentally, lucrative government advertising” were spread all over their pages.

Voices silenced overnight: During the Emergency, numerous voices — political leaders, activists, journalists, and ordinary citizens — were silenced almost overnight as the government imposed authoritarian control. Here are some of the key groups and individuals whose voices were suppressed:

According to The Indian Emergency (1975–1977) in Historical Perspective (Sugata Bose, Ayesha Jalal), nearly 110,000 opposition political leaders and activists, independent editors and reporters, as well as dissenting students and youth were imprisoned during the Emergency.

Political Leaders and Opposition Voices Silenced

Jayaprakash Narayan (JP): The prominent socialist leader and symbol of the anti-Emergency movement was arrested and imprisoned. His call for “Total Revolution” had mobilized millions against Indira Gandhi’s government.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani: Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were jailed without trial, effectively removing major opposition figures from public discourse.

George Fernandes: A socialist leader and vocal critic of the Emergency, he went underground but was eventually arrested.

Other Opposition Politicians: Thousands of opposition members across parties like the Janata Party, Congress (O), and socialists were detained under preventive detention laws.

Journalists and Media Personalities

Kuldip Nayar: Renowned journalist and editor, arrested and jailed for criticizing the government.

Ramnath Goenka: Owner of The Indian Express, faced severe censorship and harassment; his newspapers were heavily censored.

Many other journalists: Over 250 journalists were imprisoned, newspapers were censored, and media houses faced raids and intimidation.

Activists and Civil Society

Social activists and student leaders: Many activists involved in protests or social movements were arrested, silencing grassroots dissent.

Trade union leaders: Labour leaders opposing government policies were detained.

General Public

Ordinary citizens who spoke against the Emergency or participated in protests risked arrest and harassment.

Families of detainees faced intimidation and social ostracism.

Cultural and Artistic Voices

Filmmakers, writers, and artists critical of the regime faced bans and censorship. For example, the satirical film Kissa Kursi Ka was banned and copies destroyed.

Role of Youth and Students: During the Emergency (1975–1977), youth and student groups played a complex role, with many actively resisting the authoritarian regime despite severe repression:

Student leaders arrested early: Prominent student leaders, such as Arun Jaitley, head of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Delhi, were among the first to be arrested and spent the entire Emergency in jail. This demonstrated the government’s intent to crush student activism swiftly.

Student movement repression: Political meetings, rallies, and agitations were banned, and student leaders were abducted and detained to quell the student movement and suppress democratic dissent. Academic freedom was severely curtailed.

Youth resistance through underground and covert actions: Despite arrests and censorship, some student groups and youth activists continued to resist the Emergency underground. For example, members of opposition parties and organizations like the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, including youth leaders such as Nanaji Deshmukh and Madan Lal Khurana, managed to evade police and led resistance efforts.

Diverse responses within youth organizations: While some ABVP leaders pledged allegiance to government programs to avoid imprisonment, others remained staunchly opposed and suffered incarceration.

Broader political context: The youth resistance was part of a larger movement inspired by leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, whose call for “Total Revolution” galvanized students and young people to oppose the suspension of democracy and civil liberties.

Suppression of dissent in educational institutions: Universities and colleges became sites of conflict as the government cracked down on student protests and dissent, aiming to control academic spaces and silence critical voices.

Forced Sterilization and slum demolition: Sanjay Gandhi Controversial population control, evection in Delhi and other cities: Sanjay Gandhi, who was allegedly responsible for executing some of the Emergency’s worst excesses, such as forced sterilization.

Forced Sterilization Campaign

Sanjay Gandhi, though holding no official government position, aggressively pushed a population control policy that forced approximately 11 million Indians into sterilization camps, primarily targeting poor and marginalized men.

The campaign involved coercive tactics such as salary deductions, cutting off irrigation water to villages, police raids, and midnight knockings to forcibly bring people to sterilization camps (nasbandi camps).

The sterilizations were often performed under unhygienic and rushed conditions, leading to thousands of deaths and serious complications. Reports indicate that about 2,000 men died from botched operations during this period.

The northern states of India, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and others, became known as the “vasectomy belt” due to the high number of sterilizations conducted there. These states competed to meet or exceed targets set by Sanjay Gandhi.

The constitutional amendment in 1976 empowered the central government to enforce family planning programs nationwide, facilitating this centralized and forceful approach.

The campaign was widely resented and feared, with people forcibly taken from homes, fields, railway stations, and cinema halls. The coercion extended to both men and women, with many women forced to undergo tubectomies, resulting in deaths and lasting trauma.

Slum Demolition and Evictions

Alongside sterilization, Sanjay Gandhi ordered the demolition of slum settlements, particularly in Delhi. In April 1976, slum clearance drives began, targeting areas like Turkman Gate in Old Delhi, where sterilization camps were also set up.

The demolition of slums was brutal and swift, displacing thousands of poor residents without adequate rehabilitation. Resistance to these evictions was met with police violence; in Old Delhi, police firing resulted in more than a dozen deaths, and in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, over 50 people died resisting eviction.

These actions were part of Sanjay Gandhi’s vision of “beautifying” cities but were widely criticized as inhumane and authoritarian.

Impact and Legacy

The forced sterilization and slum demolition campaigns created widespread fear and anger among the Indian populace, severely damaging the credibility of family planning efforts.

When elections were held in 1977, the backlash against these policies contributed significantly to Indira Gandhi’s defeat and the rise of the Janata Party.

The population control program became politically toxic, and subsequent governments were wary of pursuing aggressive sterilization drives.

Sanjay Gandhi’s forced sterilization campaign and slum demolition drives during the Emergency were marked by coercion, human rights abuses, and tragic loss of life. These policies left a deep scar on India’s social and political landscape and remain one of the most infamous aspects of the Emergency era.

Judiciary under pressure: The ADM Jabalpur case (ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla, 1976) is one of the most controversial judgments in the history of the Indian judiciary, decided during the Emergency period (1975–1977). The case arose when several petitioners challenged their detention without trial under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), arguing that their fundamental rights, particularly the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution, were violated during the Emergency declared by the Indira Gandhi government. The majority decision, criticized for prioritizing state power over individual rights, allowed for the suspension of habeas corpus, effectively denying judicial review of detentions. This decision is widely regarded as a controversial moment in Indian legal history, with Justice H.R. Khanna’s dissenting opinion becoming a symbol of judicial independence and the importance of fundamental rights. The judgment effectively gave legal sanction to the suspension of civil liberties and legitimized the arbitrary detention of thousands of political opponents and dissenters during the Emergency. It overturned the judgments of nine High Courts that had upheld the right to judicial review even during the Emergency, thus validating executive overreach and authoritarianism.

Role of All India Radio: Shaped public perception and suppress criticism: During the Emergency (1975–1977), All India Radio (AIR) played a crucial role in shaping public perception and suppressing criticism of the government:

Government control and censorship: Immediately after the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, AIR came under strict government control. Indira Gandhi addressed the nation on AIR on June 26 to justify the Emergency, presenting it as a necessary measure against a “deep and widespread conspiracy” against her government.

Monopoly over broadcast media: With newspapers unable to publish due to power cuts and censorship, AIR became the primary source of news for millions. The government used this monopoly to broadcast only pro-government messages, suppressing dissenting voices and controlling the narrative.

Screening and surveillance of staff: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered AIR station directors to scrutinize all employees to root out any subversive elements. Detailed background checks were conducted on both Indian and foreign journalists to ensure compliance with government directives.

Propaganda tool: AIR was used to promote government initiatives such as the “20-Point Programme” and to project a positive image of Indira Gandhi’s regime. Critical or opposition viewpoints were completely excluded from broadcasts.

Suppression of foreign media: Foreign correspondents were forced to sign censorship agreements to continue working in India. Those who refused, such as BBC’s Mark Tully, were expelled. Despite this, BBC continued to broadcast uncensored news internationally, becoming a vital information source for many Indians.

Loss of credibility: Attempts by AIR’s director-general to maintain journalistic objectivity were overridden by the government. Indira Gandhi famously dismissed concerns about AIR’s credibility by stating, “What credibility? We are the government!” After the emergency was declared, Ms Gandhi’s loyalists took complete control of the nation’s radio. Ms Gandhi used the radio to declare the emergency.

Impact on Indian Politics: The Emergency, declared in India from 1975 to 1977, significantly altered the country’s political landscape by suspending fundamental rights.

Congress was routed in Elections: A non-Congress government was formed first time In India: In the 1977 general elections, held immediately after the Emergency was lifted, the Janata Party—a coalition of opposition groups united against the Emergency—won a landslide victory, securing 298 Lok Sabha seats compared to Congress’s 154. This ended the Congress’s uninterrupted rule since

independence and marked the first time a non-Congress government came to power in India. The elections reflected a deep public desire to restore democracy, civil rights, and the rule of law. The Janata Party’s campaign emphasized the choice between “democracy and dictatorship,” mobilizing voters around democratic ideals. It reinforced the importance of democratic institutions, free press, and judicial independence in India’s political culture.

How Democracy Strikes Back in 1977 Elections: The Emergency ended as unexpectedly as it had begun. In January 1977, Gandhi called for a new general election and released several imprisoned political figures. There was no apparent reason for her to have done so, but modern theories suggest that intelligence reports had predicted an electoral victory for her. As it was, she was soundly defeated by the Janata Party, an amalgam of opposition parties led by Desai, who became the first non-Congress prime minister. The Emergency was officially lifted on March 21, 1977, after votes were counted, although some consider that it had essentially ended when elections were announced. The Desai government subsequently amended the constitution to remove some of the language that had enabled the Emergency, including changing the provision of “internal disturbance” to “armed rebellion.”

44th Amendment | 1978: The Morarji Desai government that succeeded Indira in 1977 moved to restore the Constitution to its pre42nd Amendment condition. It’s remarkable that the 44th Amendment, which added crucial safeguards against the deprivation of fundamental rights, curtailed the wide-ranging emergency powers of the Centre, and downgraded the right to property from a fundamental right to a constitutional right.

Who supported Emergency 1975 and Why?

Here are six names, from outside Congress, who shockingly came out in support of it.

1. Vinoba Bhave

2. Bal Thackeray

3. M G Ramachandran

4. Khushwant Singh

5. Mother Teresa

6. Communist Party of India

7. Congress Party and Indira Gandhi’s Inner Circle

8. RSS leaders

Many supporters viewed the Emergency as a necessary step to restore law and order amid political unrest, opposition protests, and a court verdict invalidating Indira Gandhi’s election. Some groups, like parts of the Sangh Parivar, sought to protect their organizations from government repression by cooperating or negotiating with the regime. Certain elites and industrialists favoured the Emergency’s promise of discipline and stability, which they believed would foster economic growth.

Role of RSS during emergency 1975: One of the first organisations to be banned was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was the largest of the organisations that were outlawed during the emergency. On July 4, 1975, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was banned. The central government led by Indira Gandhi banned RSS on July 4, 1975, and RSS chief (Sarsanghchalak) Balasaheb Deoras was taken into custody on June 30, 1975, at Nagpur railway station.

Then, the houses of RSS Swayamsevak became special places for the underground movement. Not only did the RSS volunteers and functionaries find a place there, but the houses of the Swayamsevaks became reliable havens for leaders and activists of political parties other than RSS. At that time, the houses of Swamsevaks had become small printing presses. During the emergency, various monthly and fortnightly magazines were published nationwide to portray the oppressed, deprived and common people. Small newspapers and bulletins are published in different districts under the initiative of Swayamsevaks in the district.

ETV BHARAT

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