“If an organisation would be credited for freeing the country from Emergency, I would give that to the RSS.”
-Former Justice KT Thomas (at a training camp of RSS)
On June 25, 1975, then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency which lasted for around 21 months till 21 March 1977 when it was officially lifted. During this period, democracy as we know it was in suspended animation and the proclamation provided a totally authoritarian rule to the government under Mrs. Gandhi. With suspension of the fundamental rights of the citizens, the period of Emergency has been referred to as the ‘Darkest Chapter’ in India’s post-independence history. I take it as the darkest cloud over the horizon of democracy and try to figure out if it has any silver lining or positive side for the contemporary India.
First and foremost is to dispel the notion that the democracy and constitution is under any threat in India. This bogey has been carried too far and the last Lok Sabha and four state assembly elections held between April- June 24 clearly proved that Indian democracy remains fully vibrant and the constitution is intact. This silly way of flashing the abridged constitution is purely for the galleries. I wonder if the Coat Pocket Constitution of India has a chapter on the Fundamental Duties as enshrined in the 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 (surprisingly during the period of emergency) and 86th Amendment Act of 2002. While we celebrate the spirit of democracy, we can not allow it to get carried away leading to a state of anarchy merely for political gains. I get a sense that with the larger numbers on their side, the opposition is trying to create the impression similar to pre-emergency era. It is here that the citizens have to be conscientious and convey in no uncertain terms that democracy is not purely about elections but about good governance post elections.
Talking of governance, it is said that a large section of the population, particularly the middle class was happy with the emergency. During this period, the crime rate had come down and railway trains, notorious for inordinate delays were running on time. The business and industry did better with no strikes. Today we have sinking bridges, stampedes, train accidents, NEET etc. which clearly indicate failure of governance at multiple levels. Governance can not be left alone to the bureaucrats, same way as the war can not be left to the Generals alone. Good governance mandates a paradigm shift with clear cut accountability at each level. The governance can not be reduced to mere optics and doing more of the same. I believe today India needs ‘Governance with a Difference’.
Among the institutions, the judiciary did not live up to the expectations. Now we have a much stronger and independent judiciary in India. I am not sure of the lower judiciary but there has been a talk of judicial reforms. Even in a country like Pakistan, the judiciary has shown a spine and thus the judiciary can be more effective pillar of democracy in India. In addition, other constitutional institutions have to be fair & transparent and be seen as such.
LK Advani famously said of the media during the emergency in 1975, “I feel sad that when the government expected you only to bend, you were willing to crawl.” In 1975, India had only the print media, All India Radio and black & white Door Darshan, the state-run fledgling TV. With press censorship, most of the print media fell in line to the diktat of the government, barring few exceptions. Now India has close to 1000 TV channels and social media of mind-blowing numbers. As the last elections proved, a large section of media has become a loose cannon and can wreak havoc to the social fabric of the nation. The digital world has no boundaries and many a times is anonymous. We certainly need checks & balances for media to be the fourth pillar of democracy in India.
Time has come to regulate the media more effectively as a tool of transformation and nation building. There have been some attempts in the past but the overall impact of the guidelines & policies has been minimal. The young generation is not fond of reading newspapers, magazines and periodicals in the print form; instead, they prefer the online edition. Not bad but these young citizens may not develop taste for reading the books and the hard work needed for serious research. Electronic media has to get out of the rat race of TRPs and tamasha news. I don’t think we Indians are starved of entertainment and serious journalism still has a place in India.
Emergency also became notoriously infamous for the forced sterilization, called Nasbandi. The noble aim of family planning was taken to ludicrous heights by the officials who wanted to please the pet project of Sanjay Gandhi. No doubt, a population of approximately 62.35 crores in 1975 was a worrisome figure for a country starved of resources. But when we compare with the latest UN figures of 144 crores for India, released in the beginning of 2024, making us ahead of China in population. A population survey released during the elections got lost in the din of electoral politics as it gave some alarming numbers in the rise of population of Muslim community. Even with 65 per cent of the population less than 40 years of age, frankly we may not get the demographic dividend from a less educated and even less employable youth.
Population control and family planning is a sensitive issue for the political leadership to comment. Surprisingly, the educated and the intellectuals also do not articulate their views on how to control the burgeoning population in India, particularly amongst the poor and the rural India. The population census is long overdue from 2021 and we should go ahead with the massive exercise with all the digital and AI tools. The call for Caste Census should not deter this critical HR exercise in the national interest.
Having said all this, I believe that our intentions are correct, we are set to become the third largest economy soon and a course correction is needed based on some of the lessons from the emergency. Many patriotic organisations have to guide our path towards the sensible growth trajectory. No country has become a developed nation, be it Germany, Japan, Singapore or even China without sacrifice and hardships of a generation. Indians admire a strong leadership which is fair, firm and resolute. Less Government and More Governance, with a sense of discipline, hard work, dedication, less politics, meritocracy, strategic culture and above all a sincerity of purpose can propel India to the dream of a developed nation by 2047.
