New Delhi: Marking ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’, observed on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed in 1975, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday shared personal experiences from that era and highlighted the widespread suppression of civil liberties which filed him with “anger” and despite being a bureaucrat he joined the protests.
,”…In 1974, I joined the Civil Services. Civil Services officers never participate in political movements, but there was so much anger inside me at the time that I participated in a protest (during the Emergency)…In 1979, I was in Tokyo when I heard about Indira Gandhi losing the election. There was pent-up anger in us against her. The country celebrated when Mrs Gandhi lost elections.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role during that period, Puri said, “In 1975, our now PM was a ‘pracharak’, who by changing his appearance went around meeting families whose members were imprisoned…”
Puri also mentioned prominent BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley who were jailed during the Emergency.
“Democracy is in the bloodstream of every Indian…At the time of Emergency, the whole nation was living in fear. More than 1,11,000 activists, journalists, students, labour leaders and innocent civilians were put in jail without trial; civil liberties and fundamental rights were suspended. They (Congress) did this for power. Arun Jaitley ji, Ravi Shankar Prasad ji and other leaders were imprisoned overnight,” he said.
BJP is observing June 25 as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ nationwide, with events, public meetings, and awareness drives.
Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet today observed a two-minute silence in memory of those who lost their constitutionally guaranteed rights and faced “unimaginable horrors” during the Emergency.
The cabinet paid tribute to their “exemplary courage and valiant resistance” to the Emergency’s excesses. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meeting, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that a resolution was passed to mark 50 years since the Proclamation of Emergency. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The resolution stated, “The year 2025 marks 50 years of the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas – an unforgettable chapter in the history of India where the Constitution was subverted, the Republic and democratic spirit of India was attacked, federalism was undermined, and fundamental rights, human liberty and dignity were suspended.”
It added that the Emergency was an attempt “at subversion of the spirit of the Indian Constitution,” which began in 1974 with efforts to crush movements like the Navnirman Andolan and the Sampoorna Kranti Abhiyan.
The resolution reaffirmed that the people of India continue to have unshakable faith in the Constitution and the country’s democratic values. “It is as important for the young as it is for the old to draw inspiration from those who resisted dictatorial tendencies and stood firm to defend our Constitution and its democratic fabric,” it said.
Reiterating India’s democratic legacy, the resolution added, “India, as the Mother of Democracy, stands as an example of preserving, protecting and safeguarding constitutional values. Let us, as a Nation, renew our resolve to uphold our Constitution and its democratic and federal spirit.”
The Emergency, imposed on June 25, 1975, by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, lasted for 21 months and is remembered for severe restrictions on civil liberties, censorship of the press, and the arrest of political opponents. The BJP has continued to mark the day as a reminder of what it terms an attack on democracy.