Editorial: Let’s not forget Emergency

Instead of using Emergency to vent out bitterness and indulge in a political blame game, a candid introspection is needed on where we stand now on preserving our core values

On this day 50 years ago, India witnessed the darkest chapter in its history when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed a nationwide emergency, suspending civil liberties, jailing political opponents, and censoring the press. What unfolded over the next 21 months constituted a grave threat to the core democratic values. The Emergency remains a singular inflection point marking a shift towards authoritarianism in our political system. In 1975, the Allahabad High Court set aside Indira Gandhi’s Lok Sabha election victory on the grounds of electoral malpractices. This prompted her to impose an emergency. The clampdown on press freedom, including censorship, and attempts to curb the independence of the judiciary, among other grim developments, were pointers to a reign of dictatorship. As the nation remembers the tumultuous events that saw the Constitution being turned into an instrument of authoritarianism, it is time to pause and reflect on the lurking dangers and the delicate nature of democracy. Instead of using the occasion to vent out bitterness and indulge in a political blame game, candid introspection is needed on where we stand now on preserving our core values. The central government has announced the annual observance of June 25, as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” — the day when the Constitution was undermined in both letter and spirit. The occasion should be used for reaffirmation of our collective resolve to guard democratic institutions and promote free dialogue and openness in society.

We must strive to promote equality and harmony in all sections of society and be respectful of our diversity. While the observance of an infamous episode should serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution is trampled upon and the checks and balances of democratic systems are compromised, it should also make us ever vigilant. Some critics have characterised the last ten years of NDA rule as an undeclared emergency because of the growing centralisation of power, diluting the autonomy of the States, infringing upon the rights of the constitutional bodies and muzzling the voice of the media. There has been a growing tendency to misuse central investigating agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate and the office of the Governor to suppress dissent and harass political opponents. Incidents like bulldozer justice and vigilante action are disturbingly reminiscent of the Emergency era’s excesses. Despite fair elections and occasional judicial assertion, the media’s pliability and shrinking space for criticism remain worrisome. The ruling dispensation is increasingly seen as promoting a culture of intolerance and a ‘take no prisoners’ approach in its pursuit of muscular majoritarianism and faux nationalism. There is also a growing tendency to label all protests as anti-national or urban naxalism. These labels are used to liberally invoke draconian laws, particularly the UAPA. All this highlights the fragile nature of democracy and the need for the public to be ever-vigilant to protect the democratic processes.

---