47th anniversary of Emergency in India: What exactly happened on June 25, 1975? Why did Indira Gandhi take such a step?

1975 Emergency in India: Know why the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed a nationwide Emergency in 1975.

Pic Credit: File Photo

New Delhi: On this day (June 25), 47 years ago, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed a nationwide state emergency which went down as one of the most notorious events in Indian history. It curtailed restrictions on civil liberties, press freedom and led to crackdowns against the Congress’ political oppositions. The order for imposing the Emergency was issued by President Fakhruddin Ali under Article 352 of the Constitution. 

Why did Indira Gandhi impose Emergency in 1975?

He cited ‘internal disturbances’ as the reason for invoking the order which cancelled elections and gave the Prime Minister unprecedented powers. The Indira Gandhi government also reasoned that there were threats to national security which required such strict measures. At the time, a war with Pakistan had recently ended due to which the economy had suffered leading to protests and strikes. This, the government, said that hurt the country to large extent.

It is believed that the Emergency was imposed after the 1975 verdict of the Allahabad High Court which convicted Gandhi of electoral malpractices and disqualified her from the Parliament and stated that she won’t be able to hold any elected post for the next 6 years. Soon after this verdict, she had declared the Emergency.

What happened during the 1975 Emergency?

During the Emergency, apart from the restrictions on civil liberties, there was a crackdown on trade unions as well. The government reportedly banned trade union activity, strikes by workers and imposed fixed wages with no scope for bonuses. The workers that protested against this faced strict repression. Another controversial aspect of this period was Sanjay Gandhi’s mass sterilization program across the country and demolitions of slums for ‘beautification’ of cities with little to no prior notice to slum dwellers.

The Emergency ended on March 21, 1977 before which Indira Gandhi had called for fresh elections on January 18, 1977. She had also ordered for the release of many opposition leaders from prison.