Opinion M Venkaiah Naidu writes: Lessons from Emergency we must not forget
The Emergency serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding democratic principles and protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals. As the maxim goes, ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty’
Indira Gandhi challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court. Justice V R Krishna Iyer upheld the HC judgment but allowed her to continue as Prime Minister pending the resolution of her appeal. 
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Emergency, imposed in 1975 by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, is, without doubt, the darkest chapter in the history of post-Independent India. Spanning 21 months, this period marks a significant turning point in the country’s democratic history. Its most disturbing aspect was the imprisonment of Opposition leaders, total suspension of civil liberties, curtailment of fundamental rights, draconian curbs on press freedom including censorship, and centralisation of power in the hands of an authoritarian and dictatorial cabal led by Indira Gandhi.
As a young victim of this persecution, I have vivid memories of the high-handedness of authorities. Today’s generation must be educated about this frightening phase in which India’s democratic journey was sought to be derailed. A series of events led up to the declaration of Emergency. The first was the Nav Nirman student movement in Gujarat followed by a student agitation by the Bihar Chhatra Sangharsh Samiti, backed by the Gandhian socialist Jayaprakash Narayan, against the Bihar government. In April 1974, in Patna, JP called for “total revolution”, urging students, peasants, and workers’ unions to bring about non-violent change in Indian society. The final straw was Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha of the Allahabad High Court pronouncing a verdict declaring Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha invalid due to electoral malpractices. In what turned out to be one of the most historic pronouncements in free India, the court declared her election null and void and unseated her from the Lok Sabha. It also banned her from contesting elections for six years.
Indira Gandhi challenged the verdict in the Supreme Court. Justice V R Krishna Iyer upheld the HC judgment but allowed her to continue as Prime Minister pending the resolution of her appeal. She then took the unprecedented step of imposing a state of Emergency under Article 352 (1) of the Constitution of India citing prevailing “internal disturbance”.
The government suspended the right to free speech, freedom of the press, and habeas corpus. Censorship was imposed and newspapers critical of the government were shut down. Power supply to newspapers was cut off. Opposition leaders across the political spectrum, including stalwarts such as JP, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Morarji Desai, George Fernandes, Jyotirmoy Basu, V S Achuthanandan, Charan Singh, Acharya Kripalani and the Anglo-Indian nominated MP Frank Anthony, were detained. The manner in which the government placed thousands of protestors under preventive detention sent shock waves across the country.
I too as a young activist, was among the detainees in the undivided state of Andhra Pradesh, along with thousands of others, including some of the tallest figures of the time in the Opposition ranks, such as Tenneti Viswanadham and Gouthu Latchanna. I was advised by my seniors in the party to go underground and work actively against the Emergency. I used to go about incognito, distribute pamphlets and place posters. I was apprehended while returning from Guntur on September 17, 1975. I was incarcerated for 17-and-a-half months in three different jails.
Resistance began to build gradually. Opposition parties and student movements organised protests and demanded the restoration of civil liberties. The role of large sections of the media came under scrutiny. Barring The Indian Express under the intrepid Ram Nath Goenka, The Statesman helmed by C R Irani and Nikhil Chakravartty’s Mainstream, the press buckled under pressure. My mentor L K Advani later told journalists: “You were asked only to bend, yet you crawled.”
As it happens often, circumstances bring about unexpected change. The Janata Party emerged victorious in the 1977 elections, ending the Emergency and marking the restoration of democracy. There is another message here for all of us. The Emergency was ultimately brought to an end through democratic means, demonstrating the supremacy of the ballot. This emphasises the power of the electoral process as a peaceful and effective mechanism for change and the importance of citizens’ participation in the democratic process.
The Emergency serves as a reminder of the importance of safeguarding democratic principles, protecting civil liberties, and ensuring a robust system of checks and balances. The dark phase also sparked debates on the role of the judiciary, media freedom, and the limits of executive power in a democratic society. Respect for the rule of law is another key lesson the Emergency taught us.
The RSS played an important role in organising protests against the Emergency. These developments highlight the importance of active citizenship and grassroots movements in safeguarding democracy and advocating for the rights and freedoms of all citizens.
The Emergency serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding democratic principles and protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals. As the maxim goes, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
The writer is a former Vice President of India
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