Timeline of events during Emergency
June 12, 1975:
The Allahabad High Court found former prime minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral
malpractice in the 1971 elections. She was disqualified, and barred from holding the
post of the prime minister for six years.
• The State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain
• Delivered by Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha
• Indira Gandhi had won the 1971 Lok
Sabha election from Rae Bareli
defeating socialist leader Raj Narain,
who later challenged her election
alleging electoral malpractices and
violation of the Representation of the
People Act, 1951. Indira Gnadhi and Raj Narain
June 24, 1975:
The Supreme Court granted a conditional stay on the high court's directive.
June 25, 1975:
The then president, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, declared a state of emergency, a few
minutes before midnight.
President ---Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
June 26, 1975:
The Union Cabinet sanctioned the decision to impose the Emergency.
June 30, 1975:
The MISA (Maintainance of Internal Security Act) was amended, through an
ordinance, and the detention of any person who opposes the government without
any trial was allowed.
MISA was a controversial law passed by the Indian parliament in 1971 giving the
administration of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Indian law enforcement agencies very
broad powers – indefinite preventive detention of individuals, search and seizure of
property without warrants, and wiretapping – in the quelling of civil and political disorder
in India, as well as countering foreign-inspired sabotage, terrorism, subterfuge and threats
to national security.
July 1, 1975:
The then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, introduced a 20-point programme for economic
and social reform.
Under this programme, she promised to implement land reforms, abolish the practice of
bonded labour (under which rural landlord-moneylenders tied poor and landless
labourers to eternal bondage if they failed to pay off their debts), fix minimum wages for
agricultural labourers, supply clothes to the poor and increase job opportunities for
educated young people, among other things.
In her speeches, she asserted that it was to be able to implement this pro-poor
programme that she had to impose the Emergency, so that the rich who opposed it could
be suppressed.
The programme was subsequently restructured in 1982 and again on 1986.
July 5, 1975:
Twenty-six political organisations, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and
Jamaat-e-Islami, were banned.
A few days before the Emergency was declared, Jayaprakash Narayan led an anti-
government rally in Patna. He was arrested after the rally
The role of RSS
RSS was seen close to opposition leaders, and with its large organisational base it was
believed to have the potential of organising protests against the Government. Police
clamped down on the organisation and thousands of its workers were imprisoned.
The RSS defied the ban and thousands participated in Satyagraha (peaceful protests)
against the ban and the curtailment of fundamental rights. The volunteers of the RSS
also formed underground movements for the restoration of democracy. Literature that
was censored in the media was clandestinely published and distributed on a large scale
and funds were collected for the movement. They established networks between
leaders of different political parties in the jail and outside for the co-ordination of the
movement.
The Economist described the movement as "the only non-left revolutionary force in the
world". It said that the movement was "dominated by tens of thousands of RSS cadres,
though more and more young recruits are coming". Talking about its objectives it said
"its platform at the moment has only one plank: to bring democracy back to India".
July 23, 1975:
The Rajya Sabha voted in the favour of the Emergency and the next day, the Lok Sabha
also passed it.
August 5, 1975:
The Central government imposed MISA and arrested over one lakh people including
leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Arun Jaitley, Vijayaraje Scindia, Siddaramaiah
and K Stalin
January 9, 1976:
The government suspended seven freedoms
guaranteed by Article 19 of the Constitution of India.
February 4, 1976:
The Lok Sabha was extended by one year.
A bill to extend the life of the Lok Sabha by one year was introduced in Parliament by Law
Minister H.R. Gokhale. The bill was opposed by a section of the opposition, including
Marxist, communist and BLD members.
Gokhale said that with regard to the proclamation of the Emergency, “it is considered
necessary to extend the duration of the present House of the People by a period of one
year”.
Forced sterilization
In September 1976, Sanjay Gandhi initiated a widespread compulsory sterilization
programme to limit population growth.
The campaign primarily involved getting males to undergo vasectomy. Quotas were
set up that enthusiastic supporters and government officials worked hard to achieve.
There were allegations of coercion of unwilling candidates too.
In 1976–1977, the programme led to 8.3 million sterilisations, most of them forced,
up from 2.7 million the previous year.
November 2, 1976:
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Bill passed in the Lok Sabha for making the country
socialist, secular and republic.
• Known as mini constitution
• Act passed by the parliament on 11 November 1976
• Three new words (socialist, secular and integrity) were added in the Preamble
• Fundamental Duties by the citizrns (new Part IV-A) was added
January 18, 1977:
Fresh Lok Sabha election was announced.
On 18 January 1977, Gandhi called fresh elections for March and released all political
prisoners, though the Emergency officially ended on 23 March 1977.
January 20, 1977:
The existing Lok Sabha was dissolved.
January 24, 1977:
Under the leadership of Morarji Desai, Janata Party was launched by the Opposition.
March 16, 1977:
The Janata Party, with allies, won 345 seats in the general election. Morarji
Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India.
On 18 January 1977, Gandhi called fresh elections for March and released all political
prisoners, though the Emergency officially ended on 23 March 1977.
The opposition Janata movement's campaign warned Indians that the elections might be
their last chance to choose between "democracy and dictatorship."
February 11, 1977:
The then president, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, died.
March 21, 1977:
The Emergency was officially withdrawn.
The Emergency lasted 21 months, and its legacy remains intensely controversial.
Criticism against the Government
• Detention of people by police without charge or notification of families
• Abuse and torture of detainees and political prisoners
• Use of public and private media institutions, like the national television
network Doordarshan, for government propaganda
• Forced sterilization.
• Destruction of the slum and low-income housing in the Turkmen Gate and Jama
Masjid area of old Delhi.
• Large-scale and illegal enactment of new laws (including modifications to the
Constitution).
March 24, 1977:
Morarji Desai was sworn in as the new prime minister of India.
