Q)Discuss briefly the background of emergency.

The state of emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi Government on June 25, 1975. The emergency was declared in the backdrop of huge socio economic & political unrest prevalent in the country.

Indira Gandhi won the general election in 1971, with huge majority. She won popular support with pro- poor & leftist policies like the nationalisation of banks & abolition of privy purse of erstwhile Princely States.

The 1971 war with Pakistan had reduced the GDP of the country. The country witnessed high unemployment rates. The gulf war 1973 led to oil crisis which adversly affected Indian economy.

The autocratic behaviour of Indira Gandhi Government attempted to interfere in judicial matters. Appointment of Justice A N Ray as Chief Justice of India, superseding three more senior judges was seen as tendency to control judiciary by the government.

Student unrest in Gujarat, railway strike organised by George Fernandes, Sampoorna Kranti Movement launched by Jayprakash Narayan in Bihar, where he urged students, peasants & labour unions to transform Indian society non violently, created lot of law & order problems. All this led to huge political unrest in the country.

In June 1975, Allahabad High Court in Raj Narain Verdict declared Indira Gandi’s election to Parliament null & void.

Meanwhile, Jayprakash Narayan & Morarji Desai called for daily anti government protests. In Delhi, Jayprakash Narayan oraganised huge public rally, where he urged police officers to disobey immoral & unethical order of the government.

The government saw this as a sign of inciting rebellion in the country. The Prime Minister requested President to impose state of emergency in the country.

Conclusion –
Emergency is called the darkest hour of Indian Democracy. 44th constitutional amendment act 1978, brought by Morarji Desai Government removed the discretion of Prime Minister to impose emergency at his whims & fancies, thus making imposition of emergency harder in the country.