紧急状态

The Emergency in India was a 21 month period from 1975 to 1977 when prime minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across India by citing internal and external threats to the country.

Officially issued by president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution of India because of a prevailing "Internal Disturbance", the Emergency were in effect from 25 June 1975 and ended on 21 March 1977. The order bestowed upon the prime minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be cancelled and civil liberties to be suspended. For much of the Emergency, most of Gandhi's political opponents were imprisoned and the press was censored. More than 100,000 political opponents, journalists and dissenters were imprisoned. During this time, a mass campaign for vasectomy was spearheaded by her son Sanjay Gandhi.

The final decision to impose an emergency was proposed by Indira Gandhi, agreed upon by the President of India, and ratified by the Cabinet and the Parliament from July to August 1975. It was based on the rationale that there were imminent internal and external threats to the Indian state.

Prelude

Rise of Indira Gandhi

Between 1967 and 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came to obtain near-absolute control over the government and the Indian National Congress party, as well as a huge majority in Parliament.……

Proclamation of the Emergency

The Government cited threats to national security, as a war with Pakistan had recently been concluded. Due to the recent war, the onset of drought and the 1973 oil crisis, the economy was in poor condition.……

Administration

Indira Gandhi devised a '20-point' economic program to increase agricultural and industrial production, improve public services and fight poverty and illiteracy, through "the discipline of the graveyard".……

Arrests

Invoking articles 352 and 356 of the Indian Constitution, Indira Gandhi granted herself extraordinary powers and launched a massive crackdown on civil rights and political opposition.……

Response

Democracy Bachao Morcha

Shortly after the declaration of the Emergency, the Sikh leadership convened meetings in Amritsar where they resolved to oppose the "fascist tendency of the Congress".……

Sangh Parivar

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which was seen close to opposition leaders, was banned.……

Foreign reactions

The United States government disliked but chose to not oppose the Emergency. According to former United States Ambassador Dennis Kux, the Soviet Union "applauded the imposition of the Emergency, labelling Mrs. Gandhi's opponents as right-wing reactionaries".……

Elections of 1977

On 18 January 1977, Gandhi called fresh elections for March and released several opposition leaders; however, many others remained in prison even after she left office, despite the Emergency officially ending on 21 March 1977.……

Tribunal

The efforts of the Janata administration to get government officials and Congress politicians tried for Emergency-era abuses and crimes were largely unsuccessful due to a disorganised, over-complex, and politically motivated process of litigation.……

Legacy

The Emergency lasted 21 months, and its legacy remains controversial. A few days after the Emergency was imposed, the Bombay edition of The Times of India carried an obituary that read, "Democracy, beloved husband of Truth, loving father of Liberty, brother of Faith, Hope and Justice, expired on June 26."

Culture

Literature

Writer Rahi Masoom Raza criticised the Emergency through his novel Qatar bi Aarzoo.

Shashi Tharoor portrays the Emergency allegorically in his The Great Indian Novel (1989), describing it as "The Siege".……