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Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
The Emergency: A political battle and a personal story
I write this as India marks the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Emergency, during which the Constitution itself was weaponised to create a dictatorship. My father, Arun Jaitley, is remembered as amongst the most eloquent leaders of the nation, a staunch nationalist, astute politician, lawyer par excellence and a unique consensus builder, who worked relentlessly to ensure collaborative process till the result was something that every member could at least accept, if not support. Curious, I once asked how he had much forbearance for the diametrically opposite views of others. He responded with lessons learned from the Emergency, and what it had cost to safeguard the right to voice an opinion different from that of those in power. In 1973, it became evident that the government led by Indira Gandhi had neither the intention nor the ability to alter its economic policies that had led to high inflation and mass unemployment. My father was at this time, an aspiring law student and Delhi University (DU) Students Union president. Noting the change in political winds and the wave of student agitations inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), my father convened a rally in the DU campus which JP addressed. The rally witnessed an unprecedented turnout, grabbing the attention of the Congress leadership. Within the year, Mrs Gandhi lost her position as MP pursuant to the Raj Narain case, mounting pressure for her resignation. This led to declaration of the Emergency in the intervening night of June 25-26, 1975. Articles 14, 19, 21 and 22 also stood suspended. The same night, Opposition leaders were arrested, and the police arrived at my father's home. My grandfather, a lawyer, asked the police for documents supporting such detention, ensuring that my father escaped in the interim. No newspapers were delivered on June 26 as electricity to Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, where most newspapers were situated, having been disconnected. My father's efforts to ascertain the gravity of the situation were in vain. Undeterred, he arrived at the DU campus with a plan to deliver a speech against the Emergency and then escape with the help of a friend who owned a scooter. Such was the terror of the Emergency however, that even the strongest of friendships wavered, and when my father arrived at the location, he found neither vehicle nor friend. He was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act and lodged in Tihar jail. My father took great pride in being the first satyagrahi against the Emergency. While my father was transferred to Ambala central jail after a week, his family was in the dark. Some rumours suggested that he had been sent to Kala Paani (Andamans), and others that he had been killed. My grandmother was overcome with grief and her health took a turn for the worse. My grandfather, torn between anguish and duty to hold the family together, used every resource to locate my father, and thereafter, ensure his transfer to Delhi. He filed petitions to enable my father to write his final year examination from jail. However, these were rejected on the ground that he was a threat to public order. He thus lost an academic year during his 19-month imprisonment. The loss was insignificant when compared to what his family endured. With my grandmother debilitated and my grandfather dedicating himself to ensuring my father's survival, it fell to his eldest sister Madhu, to manage her own home in Bikaner, as also that of my grandparents. She would travel by train weekly, for three days, cook as much food as possible and depart, to repeat this every fourth day. She recalls meeting my father in jail for a few minutes each month when she would carry food for him. On one occasion she received a message that he had requested Chinese food from Majnu ka Tila for 15 persons, and momentarily she smiled, relieved that the foodie in him was still alive. Her other memories are more sobering. She recounts the day my grandfather received a phone call, informing him that my father had had an accident and was breathing his last at AIIMS. My grandfather, who until then had maintained composure through insurmountable moments of anxiety, could bear it no longer and suffered a heart attack. The rumour was untrue, but neither the first nor the last of its kind. Relatives would describe the torture of political prisoners in excruciating detail, which caused family members to withdraw. Friends quietly distanced themselves fearing consequences, and loyal staff quit, as police constantly circled the house, tormenting those who offered support. 'No one,' she said, 'No one wanted to be associated with us.' Eventually, political prisoners began to be released on the pre-condition of a written apology to the government. However, my family never got their hopes up, knowing that this was against everything my father stood for. With their own lives at a standstill, they took solace in the fact that my father was with like-minded people. My father later said that prison is a state of mind. If one allowed oneself to be overwhelmed, it would result in depression and traumatic experiences. But if you were thinking of fighting the Emergency, you felt fine. Gradually, international pressure mounted, which led to snap elections being announced on January 18, 1977. The short timeline was aimed to debilitate the Opposition, as the plan was to release prominent leaders only post elections. My father was released on January 25, 1977, and he went on to play a pivotal role in the general election. The Janata Party won a resounding victory, alleviating fears of the polls being farcical. This led my father to believe that democracy lies in the hearts of the people. When it dies there, no Constitution can save it, and no judge can protect it. Until then, it is safe and as immortal as India is. Rohan Jaitley is advocate, Supreme Court and president, Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA). The views expressed are personal.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Tripura CM slams Congress for Emergency, calls it ‘black chapter'
Agartala: Tripura chief minister Manik Saha on Monday criticised Congress for imposing Emergency in 1975, calling it a "direct attack" on the Constitution and democracy. Addressing a mock parliament of the party, he said the Emergency period (1975–77) was a "black chapter" in Indian history. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "We have forgotten many things, especially the days of sorrow. But one cannot live without remembering such dark times," he added. Recalling the sequence of events that led to the declaration of Emergency, Saha said, "In 1971, Indira Gandhi contested from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and won. Her nearest rival, Raj Narain, challenged the result in the Allahabad High Court, alleging misuse of govt machinery and the appointment of a gazetted officer as her election agent. On June 12, 1975, Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha declared her election null and void. " He added although Indira Gandhi appealed to the Supreme Court, Justice Krishna Iyer allowed her to continue as Prime Minister but barred her from voting or holding any official position. "Subsequently, Indira Gandhi consulted Siddhartha Shankar Ray, the then chief minister of West Bengal and a renowned barrister. Pressure was mounted on President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and finally, Emergency was declared in 1975," Saha said. He said the objective behind organising the mock parliament was to educate the younger generation about the Emergency and its consequences. "They must know how democracy was throttled. It's their responsibility to spread this awareness further," he added. Saha also recalled the situation in Tripura during the Emergency. "The then chief minister Sukhamoy Sengupta misused the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) to arrest many people, including journalists. Homes were vandalised, dissenters jailed, and press freedom crushed," he said. Drawing a contrast with the present, he said, "Today, we are witnessing what real development means. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, efforts are being made to uphold and protect the Constitution."


India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Emergency was a direct attack on constitution, democracy: Tripura CM Saha
Agartala (Tripura) [India], July 1 (ANI): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha criticised the Congress for imposing the Emergency in 1975, calling it an attack on the Indian Constitution and democracy. Chief Minister Saha, while addressing the Mock Parliament organised by the BJP Mahila Morcha at Muktadhara Auditorium on Monday, said that the Emergency from 1975 to 1977 was a black chapter, and the participants here today will learn about the history and hold discussions on this matter. 'We forgot so many things. Especially the days of sorrow--we forgot. A person can't live keeping sorrowful days in memories,' the Tripura CM said. He said that everyone knows that in 1971, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency. 'She contested the election in 1971 from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh and on 10th March, when results were declared, she won. But her nearest opponent candidate, Raj Narain, couldn't accept it and challenged it in Allahabad High Court. Everyone knows about this matter. Raj Narain said that with the help of the Government, Indira Gandhi won the election and appointed a gazetted officer as her election agent. Based on these two matters, Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha on 12th June 1972 declared the election as null and void,' said CM Saha. He informed that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi knocked on the door of the Supreme Court, and there Justice Krishna Iyer said that she could remain Prime Minister but couldn't vote or hold any government post. 'Later, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, was summoned--he was a renowned barrister--and Indira Gandhi discussed the matter with him. Then pressure was mounted on President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and the Emergency was declared in 1975, which is a black day,' said Dr Saha. He said that this is why the Mock Parliament was arranged--to make the young generations aware of this black day and to discuss it. Later, they will convey it to the people as well. 'It was a direct attack on the Indian Constitution. We have seen how democracy was killed during the Congress regime. In Tripura, the then Chief Minister was Sukhamoy Sengupta, and we saw how they used the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in a wrongful way and arrested many people, starting with journalists. We saw what kind of situation was created. Many houses were vandalised. Those who protested against the Emergency were arrested, and even the press was attacked. Now we are seeing what development truly means. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working to protect the Constitution,' he added. During the event, BJP state president Rajib Bhattacharjee, Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, BJP general secretary Bhagaban Das, and BJP Mahila Morcha state president Mimi Majumder were present. (ANI)


The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
From The Hindu, July 1, 1975: Detention without assigning grounds: ordinance issued
The President has promulgated an ordinance amending the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) to empower the Central and State Governments to detain any person upto a maximum period of one year during the operation of the Emergency, without assigning any grounds for the detention. The ordinance issued late last night under Article 123 of the Constitution, however, stipulates that the detaining authority has to make a declaration — and communicate it to the person concerned — that the detention is necessary 'for effectively dealing with the Emergency.' When the orders for detention have been passed by a subordinate authority, it has to be reviewed by the State Government within 15 days of the issue of the necessary declaration. It will cease to have any effect unless it has been confirmed by the State Government. The question whether the detention of a person should be continued shall be considered by the appropriate Government within four months of the date of the original declaration and thereafter at intervals not exceeding four months in each case. The ordinance empowers the Central and State Governments to detain a person without disclosing the grounds for detention during the operation of the Emergency or a period not exceeding 12 months whichever is shorter, but it also provides for the extension of detention of the same person beyond one year through a fresh order issued under the amended act.


The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Iran-Israel ceasefire, 50 years of Emergency, Axiom-4 mission, and more: The week in 5 charts
(1) Shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to hold U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was 'in effect', after the truce, which he announced early morning, seemed unravelling following accusations of violations from both sides, prompting Mr. Trump to curse them and issue a rare public demand to Israel to stand down. The day witnessed dramatic developments as both Israel and Iran carried out massive strikes against each other in the final hours before the intended start of a 7 a.m. ceasefire (Doha time), announced by Mr. Trump. The Israeli Defence Forces said it struck eight Iranian ballistic missile launchers in western Iran. Tehran fired at least 20 ballistic missiles in six barrages, which started at 5 a.m. local time. Four people were killed and at least 22 others injured in Iran's missile attacks. Here is a brief timeline on how the 12-day war panned out (2) Revisiting the Emergency One of the turning points of Indian politics, the Emergency was set in motion by the Indira Gandhi government on June 25, 1975, and remained in place for 21 months till its withdrawal on March 21, 1977. The order gave Indira Gandhi, India's first woman Prime Minister, the authority to rule by decree and saw the large-scale curbing of civil liberties. The then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed announced a nationwide state of emergency, citing 'an imminent danger to the security of India being threatened by internal disturbances,' particularly after the war with Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh. It was imposed just days after Indira Gandhi was convicted by Allahabad High Court for electoral malpractice in a case filed by socialist leader Raj Narain who challenged her win from Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat. The conviction led to her disqualification as an MP and Emergency allowed her to continue as Prime Minister. The oppressive Maintenance of Internal Security Act was passed during the Emergency era. There was large-scale suspension of fundamental rights for the citizenry, detention and arrest of Opposition leaders and critics, and press censorship. The 38th Amendment Act of 1975 also made declaration of a national emergency immune to judicial review (this was later removed by the 44th Amendment Act of 1978). (3) Results of 5 Assembly bye-elections: AAP wins 2, BJP, Congress, and TMC secure 1 each After the drubbing in the Delhi Assembly polls earlier this year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was in for a good news on Monday as the party managed to retain Punjab's Ludhiana West and Gujarat's Visavadar seats in the Assembly bypolls. While reacting to the bypoll wins, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said he would not become a Rajya Sabha member in the wake of party Rajya Sabha MP Mr. Arora's election as MLA. The Trinamool Congress retained Kaliganj in West Bengal while Nilambur in Kerala went to the Congress. The BJP managed to retain Kadi in Gujarat. In Kerala, it was a setback for the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government as the opposition Congress-led UDF wrested the Nilambur assembly constituency from it by a margin of 11,077 votes. Congress' Aryadan Shoukath, son of late Congress leader Aryadan Muhammed, defeated CPI(M) state secretariat member M. Swaraj. The bypolls in the five constituencies were held on June 19 and the results announced on Monday (July 23, 2025). (4) Shubanshu Shukla becomes first Indian in International Space Station Shubanshu Shukla with a crew of three others became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission on Wednesday (June 25, 2025) last week. Shukla will be working on research related to human survival in space and microgravity. His findings are meant to support India's ambitions for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission and the country's future space station - Bharatiya Antariksh Station. Under the recently expanded budget for Gaganyaan (₹201.93 billion), the BAS was included, along with two crewed and six uncrewed missions by 2028. The government will also focus on fostering partnership with private players, international collaboration and technological research. To this end, it announced a venture capital fund of ₹1000 crores for the space sector for the coming five years. (5) India breaks into top 100 countries achieving SDG goals India ranked within the top 100 countries making the most progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the first time as per the report released by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network released on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) last week. The report laid out 17 SDGs measuring progress in indicators like poverty reduction, hunger, health, education, climate action, employment, energy, sanitation and more. India's overall score for the SDG index stood at 66.95 out of a maximum score of 100. While the overall score has been improving since 2000, the report pointed out stagnating progress in 7 of the 17 indicators, moderate improvement in 7 others, on track trends in two and worsening progress in one indicator.