🌟 Class 12 Political Science – Chapter 6
The Crisis of Democratic Order ✍️
🔹 Background to Emergency
- 1970s → Period of political turmoil (अशांति) in India.
- Increasing tension between Government & Judiciary.
- Ideological differences (विचारधारात्मक मतभेद) within Congress → Division between Indira Gandhi vs her opponents.
💰 Economic Context
- Congress gave slogan “Garibi Hatao” (Remove Poverty) in 1971.
- But due to national & international factors, social & economic condition did not improve (1971–72).
- Non-Congress opposition used this discontent → Organised popular protests effectively.
🏫 Gujarat & Bihar Movements
- Both were Congress-ruled states, but student movements rose against:
- Rising prices of essential commodities (खाद्यान्न, तेल).
- Corruption in high places.
- Jai Prakash Narayan (JP) from Bihar gave call for “Total Revolution” (पूर्ण क्रांति) – social, economic & political.
- In 1975, JP led one of the largest marches to Parliament.
🚩 The Naxalite Movement
- In 1967, peasant uprising at Naxalbari (Darjeeling, West Bengal) → led by CPI(M) under Charu Majumdar.
- Later breakaway group formed CPI (ML) – Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist).
- Government responded with stern measures (कड़े कदम).
🚂 Railway Strike of 1974
- A nationwide strike by railway employees led by George Fernandes.
- Demands: Bonus + Better service conditions.
- Govt. declared strike illegal → ended after 20 days without settlement.
⚖️ Conflict with Judiciary
- 1970s = Bitter relationship between Legislature & Judiciary.
- Issues:
- Constitutional amendments & their interpretation.
- Appointment of Chief Justice of India (1973) created controversy.
- Allahabad High Court (Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha) declared Indira Gandhi’s election invalid (1975) → Political crisis.
📜 Declaration of Emergency
- On 25 June 1975, Govt. recommended Emergency → President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed proclaimed it.
- Legal basis: Article 352 (Emergency on grounds of external or internal threat).
- Cabinet informed only next morning (26 June, 6 AM).
⚠️ Consequences of Emergency
- Press freedom & Fundamental Rights suspended.
- Protests ended, strikes banned, opposition leaders jailed.
- Parliament passed new constitutional changes.
- Press censorship (पत्रकारिता पर सेंसरशिप) → Prior Govt. approval needed for publishing articles.
✨ Quick Recap for Exams:
- JP Movement → “Total Revolution”
- Allahabad HC Judgment → Trigger for Emergency
- Emergency declared → 25 June 1975 (Art. 352)
- Effects → Rights suspended, censorship, opposition jailed
⚖️ Controversies Regarding Emergency
- After the emergency, Shah Commission investigated and found that in some areas, excess restrictions (अत्यधिक प्रतिबंध) were imposed.
- Government’s argument 👉 In a democracy, opposition should allow the elected ruling party to govern according to its policies.
- Critics’ view 👉 Indira Gandhi misused constitutional provisions meant for national security to save her personal power.
- Shah Commission estimated that nearly 1 lakh people were arrested under preventive detention (निवारक निरोध) laws.
- Apart from arrests & press restrictions, the common people also faced hardships in daily life.
📚 Lessons from Emergency
- It is extremely difficult to abolish democracy in India.
- Now, ‘Internal Emergency’ can be proclaimed only on the grounds of armed rebellion (सशस्त्र विद्रोह).
- Advice to the President must be given in writing by the Council of Ministers.
- Emergency made people more aware about the value of civil liberties (नागरिक स्वतंत्रता).
🗳️ Politics After Emergency
- The impact of emergency was clearly seen in the 1977 Lok Sabha Elections.
- People’s verdict was decisively against emergency.
🏛️ Lok Sabha Elections, 1977
- Janata Party made this election a referendum (जनमत संग्रह) on emergency.
- For the first time since Independence, Congress was defeated in Lok Sabha elections.
- Results:
- Congress → 154 seats
- Janata Party & allies → 330 seats
- Janata Party alone → 295 seats (clear majority ✅)
👥 Janata Government
- After 1977 elections, competition for PM’s post among Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Jagjivan Ram.
- Finally, Morarji Desai became Prime Minister.
- But soon Janata Party split, and within 18 months, government lost majority.
- 1980 Lok Sabha elections → Janata Party defeated, Congress returned to power.
🔄 Return of Congress
- By 1970s, Congress projected itself as a socialist (समाजवादी) and pro-poor party.
- From 1977 onwards, backward caste (पिछड़ा वर्ग) politics gained importance.
- The Mandal Commission was appointed by the Janata Party to look into reservation (आरक्षण) for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
✨ Exam Tip: Always connect Emergency (1975–77) with ➝ Suspension of rights, Shah Commission findings, 1977 elections, fall of Janata Party, and return of Congress in 1980.
⚡ Facts That Matter
- Opposition & Marxist-Leninist Groups
- Non-Congress parties opposed Congress due to personalisation of politics (राजनीति का व्यक्तिगतरण).
- Marxist-Leninist groups (West Bengal) used arms and insurgent techniques (हथियार और विद्रोही तकनीक) to overthrow capitalist order.
- State governments took stringent measures (कड़े उपाय) to suppress them.
- Jayaprakash Narayan’s Satyagraha
- First nationwide Satyagraha (सत्याग्रह) organised demanding Indira Gandhi’s resignation.
- Massive demonstration at Ramlila Ground, Delhi (25 June 1975).
- Triggered by Indira Gandhi’s election declared invalid on grounds of misusing government servants during elections (Raj Narain case).
- Railway Strike of 1974
- Led by George Fernandes under National Coordination Committee.
- Demands: Bonus & service conditions.
- Declared illegal; territorial army deployed. Strike called off after 20 days.
- Conflict Between Judiciary & Government
- Tensions over constitutional interpretations (Keshavanand Bharti case).
- Highlighted intervention in constitutional provisions by government/parliament.
- Declaration of Emergency
- 25 June 1975: Government declared emergency under Article 352 citing internal disturbances.
- Aim: Maintain law & order, restore efficiency, implement pro-poor welfare programmes.
- Consequences of Emergency
- Civil Liberties (नागरिक स्वतंत्रता) curtailed; mass arrests.
- Executive-Judiciary relations strained; 42nd Constitutional Amendment altered legislature duration & postponed elections.
- Mass media & Press came under censorship (सेंसरशिप).
- Debates on Emergency
- Government: Opposition should allow ruling party to govern.
- Critics: People have right to protest publicly (सार्वजनिक विरोध).
- Shah Commission (1977)
- Investigated abuse of authority & excesses during Emergency.
- Findings: Maximum preventive detentions, illegal press restrictions, verbal orders to cut electricity at 2 a.m. for newspapers.
- Lessons from Emergency
- Democracy is difficult to abolish.
- Emergency advice must be in writing by Council of Ministers.
- Raised awareness about civil liberties.
- Politics After Emergency
- 1977 Elections: People voted against Congress; Janata Party used slogan “Save Democracy”.
- 1980 Midterm Elections: Janata Party lost due to leadership & policy failures; Congress returned to power.
- Legacy of Emergency
- Period marked constitutional & political crisis, originating from conflict between parliament & judiciary.
📝 Words That Matter
- Emergency: Federal powers concentrated in Union government; civil liberties suspended.
- Press-censorship: Prior government approval needed for publication.
- Preventive Detention (निवारक निरोध): Arrest on apprehension of future offence.
- Marxist-Leninist (मार्क्सवादी-लेनिनवादी): Armed groups in West Bengal seeking political overthrow.
- Twenty Point Programme: Announced by Indira Gandhi for law, order & efficiency; included land reforms, redistribution, bonded labour abolition.
- Satyagraha (सत्याग्रह): Peaceful protest emphasizing truth & lawfulness.
✨ Exam Tip: Always link Emergency with → Article 352, Shah Commission, civil liberties, 1977 Lok Sabha elections, Janata Party, and Congress return in 1980.
