Background to Emergency
- 1970’s was a period of political turmoil in India. This period witnessed tensions in relationship between the government and the judiciary.
- The Supreme Court found many initiatives of the government to be violative of the Constitution.
- The Congress party took the position that this stand of the Court was against principles of democracy and parliamentary supremacy.
- Ideological differences erupted within the Congress and it sharpened the division between Indira Gandhi and her opponents.
Economic Context
- Congress gave the slogan of Garibi Hatao in 1971 elections. Due to various national and international factors, the social and economic condition in the country did not improve much after 1971-72.
- The Bangladesh crisis had put a heavy strain on India’s economy. This was followed by war with Pakistan. After the war the U.S government stopped all aid to India.
- In the international market, oil prices increased manifold during this period.
- In order to reduce expenditure, the government froze the salaries of its employees.
- Monsoons failed in 1972-1973. This resulted in a sharp decline in agricultural productivity. Food grain output declined by 8 per cent.
- In such a context non-Congress opposition parties were able to organize popular protests effectively.
Gujarat and Bihar Movements
- Gujarat and Bihar were Congress ruled states. Despite this fact students from both the states started agitation against rising prices of food grains, cooking oil and other essential commodities, and against corruption in high places.
- The Gujrat Movement started in January 1974 and the Bihar Movement started in March 1974.
- Morarji Desai announced that he would go on an indefinite fast if fresh elections were not held in the State.
- Under intense pressure from students, supported by the opposition political parties, assembly elections were held in Gujarat in June 1975. The Congress was defeated in this election.
- Jai Prakash Narayan from Bihar gave a call for total revolution in the social, economic and political spheres.
- He accepted it on the condition that the movement will remain non-violent and will not limit itself to Bihar.
- A series of bandhs, gehraos, and strikes were organized in protest against the Bihar government. The government, however, refused to resign
- Alongside the agitation led by Jayaprakash Narayan, the employees of the Railways gave a call for a nationwide strike.
- In 1975, Jai Prakash led one of the largest marches to the Parliament.
- Both the Gujarat and Bihar agitations were seen as anti-Congress and rather than opposing the State governments, they were seen as protests against the leadership of Indira Gandhi.
The Naxalite Movement
- In 1967, a peasant uprising took place in Naxalbari area of Darjeeling (West Bengal) under the leadership of CPI (M), headed by Charu Majumdar.
- After sometime one branch broke off from them and was known as Communist Party (Maxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML). It was founded by Charu Majumdar.
- Government have taken stern measures in dealing with the Naxalite movement.
Railway Strike of 1974
- A nationwide strike by all employees of the Railways was led by George Fernandes.
- Its main demand was related to bonus and service conditions.
- The government declared the strike illegal and it had to be called off after 20 days without settlement.
Conflict with Judiciary
- 1970s witnessed a bitter relationship between legislature and judiciary.
- Constitutional Amendment and its interpretation were a pivotal point of bitter relations.
- In 1973, issue of appointment of Chief Justice of India worsened the condition.
- Highest point in controversy came when High Court declare Indira Gandhi’s election invalid.
Declaration of Emergency
On 12th June, 1975, Justice Jagmohan Lai Sinha of the Allahabad High Court declared Indira Gandhi’s election to the Lok Sabha invalid. This decision created a political crisis
Crisis and Response
- In response to rapid changing political situation and JP Movement, the Government of India on 25th June, 1975 recommended the imposition of emergency to President Fakrudin Ali Ahmed. The President issued the proclamation immediately.
- The emergency was proclaimed under Article 352 of the Constitution which declare a state of emergency of grounds of external threat or a threat of internal disturbances.
- The cabinet was informed about it at a special meeting at 6 am on 26th June, 1975 after all this had taken place.
- The government decided that a grave crisis had arisen which made the proclamation of a state of emergency necessary.
- Once an emergency is proclaimed, the federal distribution of powers remains practically suspended and all the powers are concentrated in the hands of the union government.
- Secondly, the government also gets the power to curtail or restrict all or any of the Fundamental Rights during the emergency.
Consequences
- Freedom of Press and some of the Fundamental Rights of the citizens were suspended. All the ongoing protests ended, strikes were banned, opposition leaders were put in Jail.
- The Parliament also brought in many new changes to the Constitution.
- Prior approval of government was needed to publish any article or matter it is called press censorship.
Controversies regarding Emergency
- After emergency, an investigation was done by Shah Commission. It found that in some areas excess restrictions were implied during emergency.
- The government argued that in a democracy, the opposition parties must allow the elected ruling party to govern according to its policies.
- The critics say that Indira Gandhi misused constitutional provision meant for saving the country to save her personal power.
- The Shah Commission estimated that nearly one lakh people were arrested under preventive detention laws.
- Apart from the arrests of political workers and the restrictions on the press, the emergency directly affected lives of common people in many cases.
Lessons from Emergency
- It is extremely difficult to do away with democracy in India.
- ‘Internal’ emergency can be proclaimed only on the grounds of ‘armed rebellion’. Advice to the President to proclaim it must be given in writing by the Council of Ministers.
- The emergency made everyone more aware of the value of civil liberties.
Politics after Emergency
The experience of emergency was quite visible in 1977 Lok Sabha Elections. The people’s verdict was decisively against the emergency.
Lok Sabha Elections, 1977
- The Janata Party made this election into a referendum on the emergency.
- For the first time since Independence, the Congress Party was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections.
- The Congress could win only 154 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The Janata Party and its allies won 330 out of 542 seats in the Lok Sabha; Janata Party itself won 295 seats and thus enjoyed a clear majority.
Janata Government
- After the election of 1977 there was stiff competition among three leaders for the post of Prime Minister Morarji Desai, Charan Singh and Jagjivan Ram. Finally, Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister.
- The Janata Party split and the government which was led by Morarji Desai lost its majority in less than 18 months.
- Fresh Lok Sabha elections were held in 1980 in which the Janata Party suffered a comprehensive defeat and Congress Party came back in power.
Return of Congress
- By 1970s the Congress Party identified itself with a particular ideology, claiming to be the only socialist and pro-poor party.
- In an indirect manner the issue of welfare of the backward castes also began to dominate politics since 1977.
- The issue of reservations for ‘other backward classes’ became very controversial in Bihar and following this, the Mandal Commission was appointed by the Janata Party government at the center.
Jai Prakash Narayan and Total Revolution
- Jai Prakash Narayan is known for three key contributions:
- Fight against Corruption,
- Principle of Communitarian Socialism
- Championing of ‘Total Revolution’.
- Jai Prakash Narayan was the first leader in post-independence India who undertook a tirade against corruption through the participation of youth, particularly in Gujarat and Bihar.
- He advocated the office of Lokpal against corruption.
- His principle of Communitarian Socialism views India as a society of communities encompassing three key layers: –
- Community,
- Region
- Rashtra– all combining together as an example of true federation.
- Based on the above principles, Jai Prakash Narayan advocated transformation of individual, society and state through his call for ‘Total Revolution’.
- His call for total revolution sought to encompass moral, cultural, economic, political, educational and ecological transformations.
- His political transformation included the right tore call, the importance of village/mohalla samities in democratic politics, and his call for Upper Ke Log to join political struggle for a clean politics in the country.
- The essence for transformation according to Jai Prakash Narayan revolves around ‘Man’ who could be the real catalyst of change in India
Ram Manohar Lohiya and Socialism
- Ram Manohar Lohiya has been one of the main proponents of socialism in India.
- He championed the idea of ‘Democratic Socialism’ while associating his socialism with democracy.
- Lohiya considered both capitalism and socialism equally irrelevant for Indian society.
- His principle of Democratic Socialism has two objectives – the economic objective in form of food and housing and the non-economic objective in form of democracy and freedom.
- Lohiya advocated Chouburja Rajneeti in which he opines four pillars of politics as well as socialism:
- Centre
- Region
- District
- Village – all are linked with each other.
- Giving consideration to affirmative action, Lohiya argued that the policy of affirmative action should not only be for the downtrodden but also for the women and the non-religious minorities.
- Based on the premise of Democratic Socialism and Chouburja Rajneeti, Lohiya supported a ‘Party of Socialism’ as an attempt of merging all political parties.
- The Party of Socialism according to Lohiya should have three symbols: –
- Spade [prepared to make efforts]
- Vote [power of voting]
- Prison [Willingness to make sacrifices]
Deendayal Upadhyaya and Integral Humanism
- Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya was a philosopher, sociologist, economist and politician.
- The philosophy presented by him is called ‘Integral Humanism’ which was intended to present an ‘indigenous socio-economic model’ in which human being remains at the center of development.
- The aim of Integral Humanism is to ensure dignified life for every human being while balancing the needs of the individual and society.
- It supports sustainable consumption of natural resources so that those resources can be replenished.
- Integral Humanism enhances not only political but also economic and social democracy and freedom.
- As it seeks to promote diversity, it is best suited for a country as diverse as India.
- The philosophy of Integral Humanism is based on the following three principles: –
- Primacy of whole, no part
- Supremacy of Dharma
- Autonomy of Society
- Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya opposed both Western ‘capitalist individualism’ and ‘Marxist socialism’.
- According to Deendayal Upadhyaya, capitalist and socialist ideologies only consider the needs of the human body and mind, so they are based on materialistic purpose.
- Whereas spiritual development is equally considered important for the complete development of human being which is missing in both capitalism and socialism.
- Basing his philosophy on the internal conscience, pure human soul to be called Chhitti, Deendayal Upadhyaya envisaged a classless, casteless and conflict-free social system.
Democratic Upsurges
- Increasing participation of the people in the democratic politics of the country is broadly characterized as democratic upsurge.
- Based on this principle, social scientists have characterized three democratic upsurges in post-independence history of India.
- The ‘First Democratic Upsurge’ could be attributed from the 1950s till 1970s which was based on the participation of Indian adult voters to the democratic politics both at the center and in states.
- Falsifying the western myth that the success of democracy requires modernization, urbanization, education and access to media, the successful holding of elections to both Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies all across states.
- During the 1980’s, the increasing political participation of the lower classes of the society such as SCs, STs and OBCs has been interpreted as ‘Second Democratic Upsurge’ by Yogendra Yadav.
- This participation has made Indian politics more accommodative and accessible for these classes.
- Although this upsurge has not made any major change in the standard of living of these classes, especially Dalits, the participation of these classes into the organizational and political platforms gave them the opportunity to strengthen their self- respect and ensure empowerment in the democratic politics of the country.
- The era of Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization from the early 1990s is attributed to the emergence of a competitive market society encompassing all important sectors of economy, society and polity thus paving way for the ‘Third Democratic Upsurge’.
- The Third Democratic Upsurge represents a competitive electoral market which is based not on the principle of survival of the best but rather the survival of the ablest.
- It underlines three shifts in India’s electoral market: from State to Market, from
- Government to Governance, from State as Controller to State as Facilitator.
- Moreover, the Third Democratic Upsurge seeks to promote the participation of the youth who constitute a significant chunk of Indian society and have emerged as the real game changers in view of their increasing electoral preference for both development and governance in India’s contemporary democratic politics.
WORDS THAT MATTER
- Emergency: In an emergency, the federal distribution of power remains practically suspended and all powers were concentrated in the hands of Union government.
- Press-censorship: Newspapers were supposed to get prior approval before publishing any material.
- Preventive Detention: The people were arrested on the ground/apprehension to commit any offence in future.
- Marxist-Leninist: This group was strong in West Bengal which had taken to arms and insurgent techniques for overthrow of capitalist order and established political system.
- Twenty Point Programme: It was announced by Indira Gandhi to bring law and order and restore efficiency including land reforms, land redistribution, eradication of bonded labor etc.
- Satyagraha: It emphasized on peaceful demonstration as if people are fighting for truthfulness and lawfulness, no need to adopt violent methods against the government or entities.
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