On this day in 1975 an Emergency was imposed in India by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Emergency remained in effect for a 21-month period from June 25 1975 to March 21 1977. President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed Emergency due to internal disturbances under Article 352 of the Constitution of India on the recommendations of the government led by PM Indira Gandhi.
The Emergency is often regarded as a dark phase in the history of India’s democracy as the period marked suspension of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution, state censorship on media and crackdown on civil liberties.
WHAT IS EMERGENCY?
The Article 352 of the Indian Constitution proclaims that the President of India can declare a National Emergency if the security of the country is at stake and is threatened by either war, external aggression, or internal disturbance/armed rebellion.
On the night of June 25, within hours of dialogue between PM Gandhi and President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, a National Emergency was declared. Multiple opposition leaders were arrested.