On this day, 25th June 1975, four decades earlier, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed a state of emergency.

Some pages of history are unfurled repeatedly because it holds that relevance and this historical event is read and looked up to see the response to the crisis of that time.

A lot was happening between the years 1973 to 1975 that evoked a political crisis in the country leading to such big decisions.

Those were hard days for the Congress party as it was the ruling party, dominant in the country.
In the 1971 elections, Congress gave the slogan to remove poverty( garibi hatao) but what happened after that was quite the opposite.

Bangladesh was one such concern that had put strains on the Indian economy. In 1973 prices of commodities were increased, leading to high inflation and bringing many hardships to the people.

There was a lingering emotion of anger and despair in every mind. Just chaos and protest were persistent.

It all began on 12 June 1975 when the Allahabad High Court declared Indira Gandhi's election to the Lok Sabha invalid based on a petition filed by Raj Narain, her opponent in the 1971 elections.

This meant she was no longer an MP and could only remain Prime Minister if re-elected within six months.

The Supreme Court granted a partial stay on the order, allowing her to be an MP but not participate in Lok Sabha proceedings.

Opposition parties, led by Jayaprakash Narayan, demanded Gandhi's resignation and held a massive demonstration on June 25, 1975.

In response, the government declared a state of emergency, citing internal disturbances. Emergency powers concentrated authority and allowed curtailment of fundamental rights.


The Prime Minister recommended the emergency to the President, who issued the proclamation. Arrests of opposition members followed, and the Cabinet was informed the next day.

Something unprecedented had occurred and there was an abrupt stop to everything. The consequences were many and the aftermath was even more devastating.
Do you think the emergency was necessary?
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