<h5 id="background-to-emergency">Background to Emergency</h5> <ul> <li> <p>The period between 1967 and 1975 in Indian politics was marked by a bitter and polarized party competition, and tensions in the relationship between the government and the judiciary.</p> </li> <li> <p>The economic context of this period was characterized by high inflation, low industrial growth, high unemployment, and a sharp decline in agricultural productivity due to monsoon failures. The Bangladesh crisis and the war with Pakistan further strained India’s economy.</p> </li> <li> <p>The Gujarat and Bihar movements, led by students protesting against rising prices, food scarcity, unemployment, and corruption, had a significant impact on the politics of the two states and national politics. The movements were joined by major opposition parties and resulted in the imposition of President’s rule in Gujarat and widespread dissatisfaction with the prevailing economic situation.</p> </li> <li> <p>The Railway Strike of 1974, led by George Fernandes, added to the atmosphere of labor unrest and raised issues related to workers’ rights and the use of strikes in essential services. The strike was declared illegal, and the government arrested many leaders, leading to the strike being called off after twenty days without any settlement.</p> </li> <li> <p>The government and the judiciary had many differences during this period, leading to a crisis in their relations. The Kesavananda Bharati Case in 1973 further added to the tension, as the Supreme Court gave a decision that there are some basic features of the Constitution that the Parliament cannot amend. The government’s appointment of the Chief Justice of India also became politically controversial, leading to talks of a ‘committed’ judiciary and bureaucracy.</p> </li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="declaration-of-emergency">Declaration of Emergency</h5> <ul> <li>The Allahabad High Court declared Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha invalid on 12 June 1975, which led to a political crisis.</li> <li>Indira Gandhi was accused of using government servants in her election campaign. The Supreme Court granted her a partial stay, allowing her to remain an MP till her appeal was decided.</li> <li>On 25 June 1975, the government declared a state of emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution, citing a threat of internal disturbances. This resulted in the suspension of the federal distribution of powers and the ability to curtail or restrict Fundamental Rights.</li> <li>The emergency led to the suspension of freedom of the Press, press censorship, arrests of opposition leaders, and the banning of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jamait-e-Islami.</li> <li>The government made extensive use of preventive detention, leading to large-scale arrests during the Emergency. The Supreme Court’s controversial judgment in April 1976 allowed the government to take away the citizen’s right to life and liberty during Emergency.</li> </ul> <p>======</p> <h5 id="politics-after-emergency">Politics after Emergency</h5> <ul> <li>The Emergency of 1975-77 in India ended with the Lok Sabha elections of 1977, which turned into a referendum on the experience of the Emergency.</li> <li>The opposition, led by Jayaprakash Narayan, fought the election on the slogan of ‘save democracy’. The people’s verdict was decisively against the Emergency, with the Congress severely punished by the voters.</li> <li>The Janata Party, formed by the merger of major opposition parties, made the election into a referendum on the Emergency, focusing its campaign on the non-democratic character of the rule and various excesses during this period.</li> <li>The Janata Party won 295 seats and enjoyed a clear majority, while the Congress could win only 154 seats. The elections were not merely about the Emergency, but also reflected long-term changes in the nature of political competition in north India.</li> <li>The Janata Party government that came to power after the 1977 elections was far from cohesive, with stiff competition among leaders for the post of Prime Minister. Eventually, Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister, but the power struggle within the party did not end.</li> </ul> <p>======</p>