New Delhi– As India marks 50 years since the Emergency was imposed on June 25, 1975, former Members of Parliament, legislators, and political leaders who were imprisoned or forced underground during the 21-month period are sharing chilling memories of mass arrests, repression, and the complete suspension of civil liberties.
Former MP Anand Mohan of Bihar called the Emergency “a dark chapter in Indian democracy,” criticizing then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for what he described as a historic mistake.
“She may have been known as the Iron Lady, but Indira Gandhi committed a grave blunder by declaring the Emergency out of fear after the Allahabad High Court invalidated her election. The entire country turned into a jail,” he said. Despite the arrest of major opposition leaders, Mohan noted that the Congress Party was decisively defeated in North India in the subsequent elections.
Surendra Pratap Singh, former MLA from Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, who was imprisoned for 19 months under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), recalled the events of June 25 vividly.
“Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency to save her chair after her election was nullified. Lakhs were jailed, including students and youth. Newspapers published front pages covered in black ink. I was a student union leader at the time—first jailed in Jaunpur, and then transferred to Naini jail in Allahabad,” Singh recounted.
P.V. Krishna Bhat, Chancellor of Central University, Odisha, remembered the courage of Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), who led the national resistance movement.
“When the Emergency was imposed, JP gave the call for nationwide protest. The movement began in Gujarat, then spread to Bihar, and from there across India. I evaded arrest for months before finally surrendering. I spent 21 months in jail,” Bhat said.
Krishna Shetty, former chairperson of the Lalit Kala Akademi and a student leader during the Emergency, recalled how political activism became criminalized overnight.
“Indira Gandhi panicked. Senior leaders were arrested without warning. I was jailed along with L.K. Advani in Bellary and Bangalore. We smuggled a camera and a transistor into the prison—many of the images documenting the Emergency today were taken by me. We were tortured, but we didn’t back down,” Shetty said.
Economist and commentator Swaminathan Gurumurthy also weighed in, criticizing the Congress party for never issuing a formal apology.
“Congress has never said sorry. Rahul Gandhi must realize that the Constitution he brandishes today is the one restored by the people after being dismantled by his grandmother,” Gurumurthy said.
He added that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi once publicly stated the Emergency could be imposed again. “Rahul Gandhi must acknowledge that the Constitution he holds up is not the one enacted by his grandmother, but the one she sought to undermine—and which the people of India reclaimed. That’s why I say Rahul Gandhi should be thanked for reigniting debate on the Emergency. This is why June 25 is now observed by many as Constitution Hatya Day.” (Source: IANS)
